The Catholic Spirit - April 15, 2021

APRIL 15, 2021 • Newspaper of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis

A time to ‘pause and pray’ Archbishop Hebda calls for faith-filled response to Brooklyn Center tragedy — Page 6

Daunte Wright’s brother, Damik, right, hugs a friend April 12 at the site in Brooklyn Center where Daunte died after being shot by a Brooklyn Center police officer April 11 during a traffic stop. They are seated on a sculpture that originally was displayed at the George Floyd memorial in south Minneapolis, then brought to Brooklyn Center following Wright’s death. Family, friends and community members gathered for a vigil to mourn, comfort one another, reflect on Wright’s life and pray. Archbishop Bernard Hebda offered condolences to the Wright family and encouraged people to pray for justice and peace. The incident sparked protests and rioting in Brooklyn Center amid tension already present in the Twin Cities due to the trial underway of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin for Floyd’s death.

DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

CROOKSTON'S BISHOP HOEPPNER RESIGNS FOLLOWING INVESTIGATION LED BY ARCHBISHOP HEBDA — Page 5 NEW DULUTH BISHOP 6 | PRAYERS FOR MYANMAR 7 | EQUALITY ACT 9 ‘CATHOLIC SPROUTS’ PODCAST 10-11 | CATHOLIC CARD GAME 12 | FAMILY OF FIVE BECOMES CATHOLIC 13

2 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

APRIL 15, 2021

PAGETWO NEWS notes As Our Lady of Grace in Edina celebrates its 75th anniversary this year, it held a groundbreaking ceremony April 9 with Archbishop Bernard Hebda and others for phase two of its three-part campus improvement project. Phase two includes building a new preschool, parish activity center with a gym and performing arts stage, a concession/spirit store and locker rooms. By the end of construction in late summer 2022, there will also be a building linking the elementary school to the church with classrooms, a faith formation room and a multi-purpose atrium. The project began with a feasibility study in 2018. In the first phase, the parish built a new priest residence with room for five clergy or guests.

A Vatican exhibit of relics of the saints is stopping at four parishes in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis in May. Presented by Companions of the Cross Father Carlos Martins of Detroit-based Treasures of the Church, the exhibit includes more than 150 sacred relics, including those of St. Joseph, all Twelve Apostles, St. Therese of Lisieux, St. Thomas Aquinas and St. Faustina Kowalska. Stops include 7 p.m. May 12 at Epiphany in Coon Rapids; 6:30 p.m. May 14 at St. Alphonsus in Brooklyn Center; 6 p.m.

May 15 at St. Dominic in Northfield and 3:30 p.m. May 16 at St. Patrick in Oak Grove.

DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

HOLOCAUST LESSONS Peg Hodapp addresses students in the classroom March 26 at DeLaSalle High School in Minneapolis. Hodapp was honored April 8 with the annual Leo Weiss Courage to Teach Award from the Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas. Since 2011, the award has been given to one teacher or school in the tri-state area for going beyond the curriculum to drive home the lessons of the Holocaust. Hodapp said she is deeply honored and humbled by the recognition. Read the story at TheCatholicSpirit.com.

About a half-dozen Knights of Columbus councils and the parishes they serve, plus the Minnesota State Council’s life committee, raised more than $14,000 — which was matched by the national Knights of Columbus — for a new ultrasound machine at Robbinsdale Women’s Center in Robbinsdale. Bishop Andrew Cozzens blessed the machine April 10 at the health center, in a ceremony with local priests and members of the Knights. Councils and parishes cooperating in the effort included Council 6772 at St. Alphonsus in Brooklyn Center and Council 13001 at St. Gerard Majella in Brooklyn Park.

A positive COVID-19 test involving an opponent ended Hill-Murray’s defense of its Class 2A championship in the Minnesota Boys Hockey State Tournament. The Pioneers were told not to open the tournament against Wayzata March 31. A lawsuit filed by several Hill-Murray players arguing the team should be allowed to play because of limited contact with the infected player — and then only when players were masked — failed to win a temporary restraining order. Eden Prairie went on to win the tournament April 3 with a 2-1 double-overtime victory against Lakeville South.

A member of St. Charles Borromeo in St. Anthony, Dan Hartig, led a Stations of the Cross pilgrimage across northeast Minneapolis on Good Friday April 2. After inviting several friends at his home parish and at Holy Cross in Minneapolis, the gathering grew through various connections to 16 men devoting five hours to walking 12 miles and stopping at 14 churches. “Next year, I hope it gets bigger,” said Hartig, who moved to the Twin Cities just before the COVID-19 pandemic hit Minnesota. He walked alone last year.

COURTESY CSCOE

STEM FAIR Nate Hamilton, an eighth grader at St. Joseph Catholic STEM School in Waconia, presents his project to a judge as part of the Catholic Schools Center of Excellence’s fourth annual Big Bang Catholic STEM Fair at St. Agnes School in St. Paul April 10. More than 60 students in grades three to eight from 22 Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis showcased their research and experiments. Col. Mike Hopkins congratulated the students via video from the International Space Station.

Winners received family memberships to local museums, and first-place winners in the third- to fifth-grade bracket and sixth- to eighth-grade bracket each won a trip to the Vatican Observatory in Arizona, as well as a $500 grant to their schools’ science programs, all provided by CSCOE.

As we look ahead to summer day trips, The Catholic Spirit asks, “What is your favorite Catholic historical site in Minnesota, and why?” Send responses of 200 words or less via an email to CatholicSpirit@archspm.org with “Readers Respond” in the subject line. Your reflection may be included in a future edition of The Catholic Spirit.

PRACTICING Catholic On the April 9 “Practicing Catholic” show, host Patrick Conley interviews Archbishop Bernard Hebda about the Easter season and traditions, and drive-up blessings. Other guests on the show are Ryan Hamilton from the Minnesota Catholic Conference, who offers insight and guidance as people await a verdict in the Derek Chauvin trial, and Nick Chalmers from Chesterton Academy of the Twin Cities, who discusses the role of chant in the musical experience of Catholic youth. Listen each week on Fridays at 9 p.m., Saturdays at 1 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. on Relevant Radio 1330 AM. Listen to interviews after they have aired at practicingcatholicshow.com, sound.com/practicingcatholic or tinyurl.com/practicingcatholic.

The Catholic Spirit is published semi-monthly for The Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis

United in Faith, Hope and Love

Vol. 26 — No. 7 MOST REVEREND BERNARD A. HEBDA, Publisher TOM HALDEN, Associate Publisher MARIA C. WIERING, Editor-in-Chief JOE RUFF, News Editor

A new book by Catholic writer and columnist for The Catholic Spirit Liz Kelly reached the No. 1 new release spot on Amazon in the “Christian Meditation Worship and Devotion” category. “Love Like a Saint: Cultivating Virtue with Holy Women” is Kelly’s ninth book.

Cana Family Institute will honor Terry and Debbie Kopp with the 2021 Cana Award at the organization’s annual banquet April 20. Parishioners of St. Anne in Hamel, the Kopps “are an inspirational witness to Catholic marriage, family life, and missionary discipleship in our community,” Cana Family Institute stated on its website. The organization, based in Crystal, supports Catholic families’ efforts to build a strong family life.

St. Catherine University in St. Paul said March 24 it plans to update some of its policies regarding individuals or organizations renting space or conducting events on campus for youth. That decision came after an independent investigation of sexual misconduct allegations against Catholic music composer David Haas in the years he held summer music programs at the university. Some members of Haas’ Music Ministry Alive team found his conduct uncomfortable, but there was no evidence that complaints of any specific incident were made to university officials or employees, the report found.

Haas, who was not a university employee, has faced numerous accusations of sexual abuse and assault stemming from his national music ministry efforts that first became public in June 2020. Subsequently, Haas apologized for his behavior and said he was receiving professional help to understand how his actions violated people’s trust.

The Polish American Historical Association is celebrating Polish-American architect Victor Cordella, who in the early 20th century designed at least two dozen churches, including Holy Cross in Minneapolis, with a noon webinar April 17. “A Builder of Polish American Identity: How Victor Cordella of Krakow Shaped Church Architecture in Minnesota” will include historians Geoffrey M. Gyrisco, Mark Dillon and Michael Retka.

Register at polishamericanstudies.org by clicking on “webinar series.”

Materials credited to CNS copy­righted by Catholic News Service.

All other materials copyrighted by The Cath­olic Spirit Newspaper.

Subscriptions: $29.95 per year; Senior 1-year: $24.95.

To subscribe: (651) 291-4444: Display Advertising: (651) 291-4444; Classified Advertising: (651) 290-1631.

Published semi-monthly by the Office of Communications, Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, 777 Forest St., St. Paul, MN 55106-3857 • (651) 291-4444, FAX (651) 291-4460.

Per­i­od­i­cals pos­tage paid at St. Paul, MN, and additional post offices.

Post­master: Send ad­dress changes to The Catholic Spirit, 777 Forest St., St. Paul, MN 55106-3857.

TheCatholicSpirit.com • email: tcssubscriptions@archspm.org • USPS #093-580

APRIL 15, 2021

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 3

FROMTHEMODERATOROFTHECURIA ONLY JESUS | FATHER CHARLES LACHOWITZER

‘A holy little terror’ becomes a priest

O

nce upon a time, a long time ago, in a land not too far away — about seven miles from the Archdiocesan Catholic Center — I made my first Communion at the Church of St. Pascal Baylon on the East Side of St. Paul.

I spent the whole year getting ready. Then came the day and I was so excited. I remember my mom, God rest her soul, ironing my white shirt and blue pants.

I helped my dad, God rest his soul, polish my black shoes. He helped me put on my blue tie. It was a new kind of tie — one you didn’t have to tie — just clip.

My two younger sisters were getting into their best spring dresses and white shoes and then we all piled into the car to go to church. I remember feeling very special that day. We arrived at the church and there I was with my little prayer book, rosary and crew cut, marching along with over a hundred other children. I felt so holy.

After Mass, we headed home, and I was in the back seat of our car with my two sisters. I was whining because it was too hot in the car and I had to keep my tie on. My mother kept saying we’d be home soon, but I kept whining. Finally, my mother got mad and said, “Fine!” She rolled the window all the way down.

Now this was a time when people were looking for time-saving conveniences. So my mother just went to the store and bought her hair. Just as soon as my mom rolled down the window, the wind rushed into the car and blew her wig right out the window and into a ditch.

‘Un pequeño terror santo’ se convierte en sacerdote

É

rase una vez, hace mucho tiempo, en una tierra no muy lejana, a unas siete millas del Centro Católico Arquidiocesano, hice mi Primera Comunión en la Iglesia de St. Pascal Baylon en el East Side de St. Paul.

Pasé todo el año preparándome. Luego llegó el día y estaba tan emocionado.

Recuerdo a mi mamá, que Dios descanse su alma, planchando mi camisa blanca y mis pantalones azules. Ayudé a mi papá, que Dios descanse su alma, a lustrar mis zapatos negros. Me ayudó a ponerme la corbata azul. Era un nuevo tipo de corbata, una que no tenías que atar, solo un clip.

Mis dos hermanas menores se estaban poniendo sus mejores vestidos de primavera y zapatos blancos y luego todos nos subimos al auto para ir a la iglesia. Recuerdo sentirme muy especial ese día. Llegamos a la iglesia y allí estaba yo con mi librito de oraciones, rosario y corte de pelo, marchando junto a más de cien niños más. Me sentí tan santo.

Después de la misa, nos dirigimos a casa y yo estaba en el asiento trasero de nuestro auto con mis dos hermanas.

Estaba lloriqueando porque hacía demasiado calor en el coche y tenía que

People wondered what took us so long and why every one of us, except my dad, was muddy.

iSTOCK PHOTO | BRANKO

My mother screamed, my sisters shrieked with laughter, my father groaned and pulled the car over to the side of the road and pointed at me. Being the oldest and being blamed for everything, I had to get out of the car, go down into the ditch and get my mom’s wig. The wig had landed in some muddy water. It looked like a dead rat. I picked it up and started to run back up out of the ditch when I slipped and fell. My blue pants, white shirt, blue clip-on tie and my mother’s wig all met the mud.

When I returned to the car there was quite a

mantenerme la corbata puesta. Mi madre seguía diciendo que pronto estaríamos en casa, pero yo seguía lloriqueando.

Finalmente, mi madre se enojó y dijo: “¡Bien!” Bajó la ventana completamente.

Ahora bien, este era un momento en que la gente buscaba comodidades para ahorrar tiempo. Así que mi madre fue a la tienda y se compró el cabello.

Tan pronto como mi mamá bajó la ventanilla, el viento entró en el auto y le tiró la peluca por la ventana y la arrojó el cabello a una cuneta.

Mi madre gritó, mis hermanas chillaron de risa, mi padre gimió y detuvo el auto a un lado de la carretera y me señaló. Siendo la mayor y siendo culpada de todo, tuve que salir del auto, bajar a la cuneta y buscar la peluca de mi mamá. La peluca había caído en un agua fangosa. Parecía una rata muerta.

Lo recogí y comencé a salir corriendo de la cuneta cuando resbalé y caí. Mis pantalones azules, camisa blanca, corbata azul con clip y la peluca de mi madre se encontraron con el barro.

Cuando volví al coche hubo bastante conmoción. Mi madre estaba preocupada por su peluca cubierta de barro y yo limpiaba mi barro en mis hermanas.

Mientras tanto, creo que mi papá rompió el límite de velocidad para llevarnos a casa. Salimos del auto y caminamos hacia el patio trasero del vecino donde estábamos teniendo una fiesta de Primera Comunión en el vecindario. La gente se preguntaba por qué nos tomó tanto tiempo y por qué todos, excepto mi papá, estábamos embarrados.

Y a pesar de que fue hace casi 60 años,

commotion. My mother was fussing over her mudcovered wig, and I was wiping mud on my sisters.

Meanwhile, I think my dad broke the speed limit getting us home. We got out of the car and walked over to the neighbor’s backyard where we were having a neighborhood first Communion party. People wondered what took us so long and why every one of us, except my dad, was muddy.

And even though it was almost 60 years ago, I can still hear my mother’s voice as she tried to straighten her muddied wig, glaring right at me but announcing in a loud voice to everyone about the mud, her wig, and how my new home was going to be in a juvenile detention center called Totem Town. My mother then proclaimed, “This holy son of mine is a holy little terror!”

There is a lot of pressure on families these days. More so during this pandemic. Parents try to assume so much responsibility for handing on the faith to their children.

Yet I tell my first Communion story to remind us that the person and real presence of the risen Christ indeed is active throughout our lives. The story may even give some parents great hope! Yes, it is the responsibility of adults to form children in the faith and the responsibility of parents to bring their children to the sacramental life of the Church. We offer our gratitude to God for parents, Catholic school teachers and catechists.

Then it was the marvelous working of the Holy Spirit, the love of Jesus, the grace of God, the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary and all the saints — and for me it took all of heaven — who transformed this holy little terror into a priest.

todavía puedo escuchar la voz de mi madre mientras trataba de enderezar su peluca embarrada, mirándome fijamente pero anunciando en voz alta a todos sobre el barro, su peluca y cómo mi nuevo hogar iba a estar en un centro de detención juvenil llamado Totem Town. Entonces mi madre proclamó: “¡Este santo hijo mío es un pequeño terror sagrado!”Hay mucha presión sobre las familias en estos días. Más aún durante esta pandemia. Los padres tratan de asumir tanta responsabilidad por transmitir la fe a sus hijos.

Sin embargo, cuento la historia de mi Primera Comunión para recordarnos que la persona y la presencia real de Cristo Resucitado está realmente activa a lo largo de nuestras vidas. ¡La historia incluso puede darles una gran esperanza a algunos padres! Sí, es responsabilidad

de los adultos formar a los niños en la fe y es responsabilidad de los padres llevar a sus hijos a la vida sacramental de la Iglesia. Ofrecemos nuestra gratitud a Dios por los padres, maestros de escuelas católicas y catequistas.

Entonces es la obra maravillosa del Espíritu Santo, el amor de Jesús, la gracia de Dios, la intercesión de la Santísima Virgen María y de todos los santos — y para mí tomó todo el cielo — quien transformó este pequeño y santo terror CathSpMM-Mar-June-2021.qxp_Layout 1 3/23/21 3:16 en un sacerdote.

RETURNS JULY 2!

OFFICIAL Archbishop Bernard Hebda has announced the following appointment in the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis:

Effective April 15, 2021 Reverend Byron Hagan, assigned as parochial administrator of the Church of the Holy Cross in Minneapolis. This is a temporary assignment while the pastor, Reverend Spencer Howe, is on a leave of absence. More information about Father Howe’s leave may be found here: https://www.ourholycross.org.

TickeTs on sale now!

Ann Michels & Michael Gruber

952.934.1525 ChanhassenDT.com

LOCAL

4 • The Catholic Spirit 4 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

LOCAL

APRIL 15, 2021

SLICEof LIFE

LOCAL

4 • The Catholic Spirit

SLICEof LIFEEgging

SLICEof LIFE

her on

With help from her father, John Emery, left, sister, Chloe Kendall, and mother, Alisen Kendall, Jennah Emery fills her basket during an Easter egg hunt at Guardian Angels Catholic School in Chaska March 27. Organizers thought that rain might keep numbers down, but about 40 people donned rain gear — including umbrellas — to take part in an event that drew school families plus other members of the Chaska community and surrounding area. Chloe is a seventh-grader at the school, and worked with several classmates to place the eggs before the hunt. “We love being out here; it’s great,” said Alisen Kendall, whose family belongs to Guardian Angels parish. “We wanted to really celebrate Easter as a school and parish.”

The event comes with some sadness, following the recent announcement that the school will close at the end of this school year. “We’re still trying to get together as much as we can as a school for events,” Alisen Kendall said. “We will have picnics From condos tohopefully, castles, parties all summer long.” and, performance exceeds promise Kendall and a group of school parents have meeting to discuss the upcoming Kathybeen Kueppers DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT all Your Buyingit.and Selling Need school closure and issuesforsurrounding Cell: (651) 470-0675

These real estate agents can help you Call Today

These real estate agents can help you find your Ho kathykueppers.realtor@gmail.com

Kathy Kueppers

From condos to castles, performance exceeds promise Kathy Kueppers

REALTOR®, CRS Owner/Broker Cell: (651) 470-0675 Office: (651) 365-0230

CallAndré Today Leavitt Office 651-452-3047

Named a 2009 Super Real Estate Agent by Mpls./St. Paul Magazine and Twin Cities Business

CHARMING 2 story, hardwood floors, natural woodwork, updated kitchen, master suite, large yard. Close to St Joseph’s school, parks, easy access to shopping, West St Paul $189,900.

With historically Low Inventory of Homes for Sale

be worth more than you realize. Call Today for a F Buyers are Waiting! (Bloomington and Eagan are for all Your Buying and SellingRealtor Needs The Traveling

Cell: (651) 470-0675 kathykueppers.realtor@gmail.com

Kathy Kueppers REALTOR®, CRS Owner/Broker Cell: (651) 470-0675 Office: (651) 365-0230

Office 651-452-3047

kathykueppers@realtyexecutives.com

33 E. Wentworth Ave. West St. Paul, MN 55118

kathykueppers@realtyexecutives.com

The Sue Johnson Sell Your Home With Confidence is now List it with Leavitt & her Team Pinnacle Team

Good Company Call 651-206-7398 for a free home market Realty Groupanalysis Andre.Leavitt@PinnacleTeamMN.com Call us today! 651-329-1264

33 E. Wentworth Ave. West St. Paul, MN 55118

GoodCompanyRealtyGroup.com Knowledge With historically Low Inventory of Homes for Sale, your home may Experience be worth more than you realize. Call Today for a Free Home Value.

Integrity Buyers are Waiting! (Bloomington and Eagan are most needed)

Named a 2009 Super Real Estate Agent by Mpls./St. Paul Magazine and Twin Cities Business

CHARMING 2 story, hardwood floors, natural woodwork, updated master suite, large yard. Close to St Joseph’s school, Advertise your real estate business in kitchen, The Catholic CallWest 651.291.4444 parks, easy accessSpirit. to shopping, St Paul $189,900.

5BR/4BA 3400+ sq. ft 2 story in Blaine. $359,900.

4BR/ 4BA 4200+ sq. ft story in Plymouth $539,000.

4BR/2BA 1800+ sq. ft 4 level split in Maple Grove $230,000.

Steve Conlin, GRI

The Sue Johnson Team is now If you would like to advertise Good Company on this page, please call Realty Group

Direct: (651) 686-2033 www.Steve-Conlin.com

Home SELLER Seminar March 9th 7-8pm OR Marc The Sue Johnson Team 651-690-8591

Peggy Langesl plangeslay@c

Now isRealtor/B the b Now is the b sell sellyour your For best re

The Catholic Spirit Advertising Call us today! 651-329-1264 Department at 651-291-4444

651-335

GoodCompanyRealtyGroup.com 1519 Central Parkway • Eagan, MN 55121

Stronger Together

5BR/4BA 3400+ sq. ft 2 story in Blaine. $359,900.

4BR/ 4BA 4200+ sq. ft story in Plymouth $539,000. www.edinarealty.com/janis-powers-realtor 4BR/2BA 1800+ sq. ft 4 level split in Maple Grove $230,000.

Your home has never been worth more.

If youCall would like Market to advertise for your personal Analysis. on this page, please call From condos to castles, The Catholic Spiritexceeds Advertising performance promise Department atKathy 651-291-4444 Kueppers kathykueppers.realtor@gmail.com

LookingSeminar for your March first home? for any 25th reason?

Home SELLER 9thDown-sizing 7-8pm OR March 9-10am, JohnsonTeam and the Good Company Realty Group can help.

The SueSue Johnson 651-690-8591 Call 651-329-1264 or e-mail: suejohnson@goodcorealty.com

Peggy Langeslay plangeslay@cbburnet.com Now isRealtor/Broker the best time to Now is the best time to sell home. sellyour your home.

JOE CASSIDY For best results, call JOE CASSIDY 612.803.4301 612.803.4301 651-335-8515 joecassidy@kw.com joecassidy@kw.com www.joecassidyhomes.com www.joecassidyhomes.com Realtor Realtor

Decades of helping families just like yours have a great real estate experience.

Cell: (651) 470-0675

Top notch s large or too 612-803-430

Providingexceptional exceptional value value is the cornerstone Providing cornerstoneof ofmy myservice serviceto you!

Providing exceptional value of my service totoyou! you!

How can can I help you How you today? today?

61

jjohan

APRIL 15, 2021

LOCAL

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 5

Crookston bishop resigns following investigation led by Archbishop Hebda

By Maria Wiering The Catholic Spirit Bishop Michael Hoeppner of Crookston has resigned, the Holy See announced April 13, following an investigation pursuant to “Vos estis lux mundi” (“You are the light of the world”), a legislative document Pope Francis personally issued in May 2019.

Statements from the Diocese of Crookston and the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis indicate that the resignation was requested by Pope Francis and that it “arose from reports that (Bishop Hoeppner) had at times failed to observe applicable norms when presented with allegations of sexual abuse involving clergy of the Diocese of Crookston.”

The “motu proprio” (meaning “on his (the pope’s) own initiative”) established universal procedural norms for addressing clergy sexual abuse and a means for holding bishops and other Church leaders accountable for their actions in addressing claims of abuse. In the process set forth in “Vos estis,” an investigation of a bishop is ordinarily directed by the metropolitan archbishop of his region. Since the archbishop of St. Paul and Minneapolis is the metropolitan for the dioceses of Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota, the investigation of Bishop Hoeppner was entrusted to Archbishop Bernard Hebda in August 2019.

At that time, the Vatican’s Congregation for Bishops authorized Archbishop Hebda to begin a preliminary investigation of Bishop Hoeppner under “Vos estis” procedures. According to an April 13 clarification issued by the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, the allegation under investigation was whether Bishop Hoeppner “had intentionally interfered with or avoided a canonical or civil investigation of an allegation of sexual abuse of a minor.”

With the approval of the Holy See, Archbishop Hebda entrusted the work of the preliminary investigation to Tim O’Malley, director of Ministerial Standards and Safe Environment for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. O’Malley conducted the investigation with a team of his staff at the archdiocese and in collaboration with two lay experts, a retired Minnesota Supreme Court justice who serves on the Archdiocesan Finance Council and Corporate Board, and a retired Minnesota state court judge who serves on the Archdiocesan Ministerial Review Board, a consultative group to the archbishop on matters relating to clergy and safe environment standards.

Prior to joining the archdiocesan staff in 2014, O’Malley worked as a deputy chief administrative law judge for the State of Minnesota. He is also a former Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension superintendent and FBI agent.

“The Congregation indicated the preliminary investigation was not intended to be a full investigative or canonical process,” said an April 13 clarification from the archdiocese. “Rather, its purpose was to substantiate (or not) the truthfulness of the allegation and, in turn, inform whether subsequent investigative and canonical processes should proceed.”

Neither the April 13 announcements nor previous statements from Archbishop Hebda, who is trained both in canon law and civil law, indicate the specific allegations against Bishop Hoeppner, 71, who had served as the seventh bishop of Crookston since 2007 when he was named by Pope Benedict XVI. However, Ron Vasek, a former candidate for the permanent diaconate in the Diocese of Crookston, has publicly accused Bishop Hoeppner of pressuring him to recant an allegation of sexual abuse against Msgr. Roger Grundhaus, who had held leadership positions in the diocese.

Vasek claims that Msgr. Grundhaus sexually abused him in 1971 when he was a teenager, and that he told Bishop Hoeppner about the abuse in 2009 or 2010, while he was considering entering formation for the permanent diaconate. He said that the bishop told him not to tell anyone about the abuse because it would hurt Msgr. Grundhaus’ reputation. Then, Vasek said, in 2015, Bishop Hoeppner asked him to

INVESTIGATION TIMELINE

PAUL HARING | CNS

Bishop Michael Hoeppner of Crookston processes at the end of Mass in Rome Jan. 15, 2020. Pope Francis asked for and accepted Bishop Hoeppner’s resignation from pastoral governance of the Diocese of Crookston, following an investigation into allegations he mishandled clergy abuse claims.

sign a letter recanting the abuse allegation. He signed the letter, he said, because the bishop had indicated that his refusal would have negative consequences for his son, Father Craig Vasek, a Crookston priest.

Vasek had been prepared to be ordained a permanent deacon in 2017, but he said that the bishop thwarted his ordination by asking his pastor to withdraw his support.

Bishop Hoeppner has repeatedly denied the allegation. According to the Diocese of Crookston, the allegation against Msgr. Grundhaus was reported to law enforcement in 2011.

In May 2017, Vasek filed civil lawsuits against Bishop Hoeppner and the Crookston diocese, accusing the bishop of coercion and “intentional infliction of emotional distress.” Four months later, the diocese announced that Bishop Hoeppner had reached a settlement agreement with Vasek that included a statement that there was no admission of unlawful conduct on the bishop’s part.

Archbishop Hebda’s preliminary investigation of claims against Bishop Hoeppner took about two months. He said he submitted his “votum,” or opinion, to the Congregation for Bishops on Oct. 28, 2019, along with O’Malley’s report on the preliminary investigation’s findings, dated Oct. 26, 2019.

On Jan. 3, 2020, the Congregation asked Archbishop Hebda to pursue further investigation.

O’Malley submitted his second report on the investigation to Archbishop Hebda on Oct. 27, 2020.

At the same time, O’Malley also requested Bishop Hoeppner answer additional questions. Archbishop Hebda forwarded both the second report and the additional questions to the Congregation. On Jan. 7, Bishop Hoeppner provided written answers to O’Malley’s questions, and O’Malley prepared a third report on the investigation. Archbishop Hebda shared that report with the Congregation.

During the investigation, the Congregation for Bishops transferred Bishop Hoeppner’s “faculty to deal with cases of sexual abuse against clerics of the Diocese of Crookston” to Archbishop Hebda, the Diocese of Crookston and Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis jointly stated in February 2020.

The April 13 announcement from the Holy See stated, “The Holy Father has accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the diocese of Crookston, United States of America, presented by Bishop Michael J. Hoeppner, and appointed Bishop Richard Edmund Pates, emeritus of Des Moines, as apostolic administrator sede vacante of the same diocese.” The resignation was publicized in Washington, D.C., at 5 a.m. Central Time by Archbishop Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the United States.

MAY 2019 Pope Francis issues “Vos estis lux mundi” (“You are the light of the world”). The legislative document establishes universal procedural norms for addressing clergy sexual abuse and a means for holding bishops accountable for their actions. In a process established by “Vos estis,” an investigation of a bishop accused of mishandling clergy abuse allegations is directed by the metropolitan bishop of his region.

AUGUST 2019 The Congregation for Bishops, a department of the Roman Curia that oversees the selection and appointment of bishops, authorizes Archbishop Bernard Hebda of St. Paul and Minneapolis to oversee a preliminary investigation into an allegation that Bishop Michael Hoeppner of Crookston had mishandled an allegation of clergy sexual abuse.

OCTOBER 2019 Archbishop Hebda receives a report from his delegated investigator, Tim O’Malley, on the preliminary investigation, and submits the report along with his “votum” to the Congregation for Bishops.

JANUARY 2020 The Congregation for Bishops instructs Archbishop Hebda to pursue further investigation.

OCTOBER 2020 O’Malley submits his second report on the investigation to Archbishop Hebda, as well as further questions he provided Bishop Hoeppner. Both documents are forwarded to the Congregation for Bishops.

JANUARY 2021 Bishop Hoeppner provides his written answers to O’Malley’s questions. O’Malley submits a third report to Archbishop Hebda, which was forwarded along with Bishop Hoeppner’s answers to the Congregation for Bishops.

APRIL 2021 The Holy See announces that Pope Francis has requested and accepted Bishop Hoeppner’s resignation from the pastoral governance of the Diocese of Crookston. Bishop Richard Pates, bishop emeritus of Des Moines, Iowa, will serve as its apostolic administrator until Pope Francis names a new bishop.

— Maria Wiering

The April 13 clarification from the archdiocese’s Office of Communications states that O’Malley’s three reports and related documentation totaled 1,533 pages and that “(c)umulatively, the investigations took more than 2,000 hours to complete. Hundreds of documents were reviewed, analyzed and compared, including depositions, memoranda, statements, canonical investigative reports, law enforcement reports, letters, emails, policies and publications.

Thirty-eight witnesses were interviewed or answered questions in writing. Bishop Hoeppner was interviewed on more than one occasion.”

In an April 13 interview with J.D. Flynn, editor-inchief of The Pillar, Vasek called Bishop Hoeppner’s resignation “a victory for all those who have been abused by sinful men in the Church — a victory for the faithful people of Christ’s Church, and a victory for truth.”

A native of Winona, Bishop Hoeppner was ordained a priest for that diocese in 1975 by Pope Paul VI at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. He holds a licentiate in canon law from St. Paul University in Ottawa, Canada. In Crookston, he succeeded Bishop Victor Balke, who was its bishop from 1976 until his retirement in 2007.

Bishop Richard Pates will serve as the apostolic administrator of the Diocese of Crookston until a new bishop is named. Bishop Pates, 78, was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis in 1968 and served seven years as its auxiliary bishop beginning in 2001 before being named to Des Moines, Iowa, in 2008. He retired as bishop of Des Moines in July 2019, but Pope Francis appointed him the apostolic administrator of the Diocese of Joliet, Illinois, in December 2019, as its leader, Bishop R. Daniel Conlon, took medical leave.

When Bishop Conlon resigned in May 2020, Bishop Pates continued to serve as the diocese’s apostolic administrator until Bishop Ronald Hicks was installed as its bishop in September 2020.

The Diocese of Crookston was established in 1909 and includes 14 counties in northwest Minnesota. It serves about 35,000 Catholics through 67 parishes.

6 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

LOCAL

APRIL 15, 2021

Archbishop Hebda: ‘Pray for peace’ after police-involved death in Brooklyn Center

By Joe Ruff The Catholic Spirit After a night of protests and vandalism April 11 in Brooklyn Center following the police-involved, trafficstop death of a Black man, and amid tension of a trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin in the death of George Floyd, Archbishop Bernard Hebda urged people to pause and pray for justice and peace.

“I hope that as a community we might be able to pause and pray, particularly during this time of already heightened tension due to the Chauvin trial,” the archbishop said in an April 12 statement. “I am encouraged and inspired by the pleas for peace that have continued to come from the family of George Floyd.”

At a news conference April 12, Brooklyn Center Police Chief Tim Gannon said it appeared from police body camera video that the officer accidentally fired her gun while intending to use her Taser.

Police said Daunte Wright, 20, was hit by a single bullet. Stopped by officers because the car he was in had expired registration tags, three officers at the car found Wright had an outstanding warrant, asked him to exit the vehicle and proceeded to arrest him. He struggled with the officers and re-entered the vehicle. One of the officers, identified by state officials as Kimberly Potter, a 26-year veteran with Brooklyn Center police, called out “Taser, Taser, Taser,” the car drove forward and Potter said, “Holy — I just shot him.” Wright drove the car several blocks and crashed into another vehicle. Wright died. Potter and Gannon submitted their resignations April 13.

The 2 p.m. incident triggered confrontations with police and looting in the city. The Minnesota National Guard and State Patrol were called to assist Brooklyn Center police officers. A dusk to dawn curfew was set April 12 for four counties that include Brooklyn Center, Minneapolis and St. Paul. Forty protesters were arrested in Brooklyn Center that evening.

St. Alphonsus Church, about three miles away from

Family members, friends and other members of the community gather April 12 at a memorial put up near the site where Daunte Wright was shot by a Brooklyn Center police officer and died April 11 during a traffic stop.

DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

the incident, and its immediate neighborhood was largely peaceful, but vandals hit a mini-mall about two blocks away, causing some damage, said Redemptorist Father John Schmidt, pastor.

The parish school was closed to in-person learning April 12 and April 13, as were the Brooklyn Center public schools.

A pastoral council meeting set for 6:30 p.m. April 13 was to include discussion of the parish’s response to the shooting and resulting violence, Father Schmidt said.

“I’d really like (the parish) to spend some time in prayer,” he said.

Father John Klockeman, pastor of St. Gerard Majella in neighboring Brooklyn Park, said he and parishioners were praying for all involved, for peace in the streets and among neighbors. “As a multiracial parish, I do see, and our parishioners see, the importance that faith plays, and mutual interaction and mutual understanding can play, in building up a strong and healthy, trusting community,” he said.

In his statement, Archbishop Hebda offered his condolences to Wright’s family and friends “for the loss of their son, father, brother and friend.”

“I have also been praying for his eternal repose, for his family and for all those who loved him,” he said.

“Daunte was created by God in his image and likeness and for a ‘definite purpose,’ as St. John Henry Newman wrote, and we grieve the loss of his young life.

“I also am praying for the Brooklyn Center Police officer involved in the shooting, and for her family and friends,” he continued. “I suspect they are grieving in a different way.”

The archbishop said early indications point toward the shooting being accidental, but he encouraged people to allow investigators to complete their work before coming to any personal judgments as to what occurred. “As I did last month when the (Chauvin) trial began, I ask that all of us take time daily to pray for justice, but also for peace in our families and in our communities,” he said.

Green Bay priest named next Duluth bishop, installation set for May 20

By Maria Wiering The Catholic Spirit Archbishop Bernard Hebda congratulated the next bishop of Duluth “with great Easter joy and gratitude” following the early morning announcement April 7.

Pope Francis named Father Daniel Felton, a priest of the Diocese of Green Bay, Wisconsin, bishop-elect of Duluth. His episcopal ordination and installation as bishop is planned for May 20.

“I very much look forward to collaborating with him as he joins the bishops of our state in providing

pastoral leadership,” Archbishop Hebda said in an April 7 statement.

“I have long admired from afar his ministry and service in the Diocese of Green Bay and am delighted that he will be bringing his rich experiences and gifts to the people of northeastern Minnesota,” he said.

BISHOP-ELECT Bishop-elect Felton, 66, has served DANIEL FELTON as vicar general for the Diocese of Green Bay since 2014. He is also currently the moderator of the curia. He was born in

Virginia but grew up in Wisconsin. He holds a degree in religious studies and psychology from St. Norbert College in De Pere, Wisconsin (1977); a master’s degree in theology from St. John’s University in Collegeville, Minnesota (1981); and a master’s degree in social communications and a licentiate in dogmatic theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome (1980).

He was ordained a priest in 1981 by Bishop Aloysius Wycislo for the Green Bay Diocese, and he has PLEASE TURN TO DULUTH BISHOP ON PAGE 19

CROOKSTON•DULUTH•NEW ULM•ST. CLOUD•ST. PAUL/MINNEAPOLIS •WINONA/ROCHESTER

Official 2021 Minnesota Catholic Directory

ORDER TODAY! The Official 2021 Minnesota Catholic Directory TheCatholicSpirit.com/mn-catholic-directory

NOTICE Look for The Catholic Spirit advertising insert from

LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR in all copies of this issue.

APRIL 15, 2021

LOCAL

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 7

Local Myanmar refugees suffer with their homeland

By Joe Ruff The Catholic Spirit Pah Chi was married for one week when the Burmese military first kidnapped, tortured and terrorized him.

In a process repeated several times due to sporadic violence in Myanmar, also known as Burma, before he and his wife fled the country in 2002, different bands of Burmese soldiers passing by his village forced him or others to do menial chores but let them go after about a month. Each time, they claimed their victims were resistance fighters, beat them and threatened to kill them while trying to make them confess, only to acknowledge or verify later that they were villagers and let them go. If those captured were found to be antigovernment fighters, they were killed.

Burmese soldiers repeatedly raided villages. Men fled in terror and hid in the jungle until they thought it was safe to return. Women villagers were often kidnapped and treated as slaves while the men were away, and their homes were burned down, Pah Chi said.

In Pah Chi’s case, as he unsuccessfully tried to escape from the soldiers, one of his uncles was shot and killed.

First kidnapped 33 years ago, Pah Chi is now 55 and a member of St. Casimir on the East Side of St. Paul. He said what he experienced is happening all over again, right now, in Myanmar. It is a cycle of ethnic and religious violence that began in 1948 when the country gained its independence from Great Britain and a brief World War II takeover

by Japan. Violence has continued in some form ever since.

“I want to tell my story because this is not only happening right now,” Pah Chi, wearing a full-length tunic and sandals, told The Catholic Spirit through an interpreter after a Lenten Stations of the Cross at St. Patrick, also on St. Paul’s East Side.

“This happened 70 years ago (too). I want people to understand.”

International pressure is needed to bring peace to their country, said Pah Chi, and his 48-year-old wife, Clare, which is her confirmation name. The couple have 10 children and eight grandchildren. Both are members of the Catholic minority Karen in Buddhistmajority Myanmar. People must get the “Burmese military to stop this,” he said.

Franciscan Brothers of Peace Father Seraphim Wirth, a native of Sauk Rapids whose ministry includes acting as chaplain for the Karen community of about 75 Catholic families in St. Paul, said people can write to their representatives in Congress to raise awareness about the violence in Myanmar and seek international intervention. Pah Chi’s experience is similar to many others, Father Seraphim said.

People also can donate money through the St. Paul-based Franciscan Brothers of Peace, which has a network of trusted individuals who can make certain the donations reach people in need in Myanmar, Father Seraphim said. Checks to the Brothers marked for “Burma relief” can be sent to 1289 Lafond Ave., St. Paul, MN 55104.

Pressing needs include food and rain tarps for people fleeing their villages, he said.

ONGOING VIOLENCE The latest burst of violence in Myanmar followed a military coup Feb. 1 that deposed the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi. In the face of protests, junta-controlled soldiers and police have been widely seen by international observers as conducting indiscriminate brutality and deadly use of force.

More than 580 people have been killed in the turmoil, according to one estimate.

While Catholics in Myanmar observed Palm Sunday this year, many in the Buddhist-majority country were weeping at the funerals of more than 100 people killed by security forces the previous day, Catholic News Service reported.

On Feb. 28, Sister Ann Nu Thawng, a member of the Sisters of St. Francis Xavier, dropped to her knees in front of Myanmar security forces, media reports said, raised her hands and implored, “Don’t shoot, don’t kill the innocent. If you want, hit me.”

DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

Shocked security forces stopped their advance.

About 100 protesters were believed to have escaped from police because of the religious sister’s actions.

— Joe Ruff and CNS

Pah Chi and his wife, Yea Kler (Clare), stand in front of St. Patrick church in St. Paul.

Most important, people can pray for peace, said Father Seraphim, who traveled with Pah Chi for three weeks last year in the region of Myanmar that has seen a great deal of the current violence. The Franciscan Brothers of Peace and the Karen community in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis have sponsored a school for internally displaced children in the Karen region of Burma. Father Seraphim made the trip in part to dedicate a chapel in that area, with permission from the local bishop.

This year, Father Seraphim has kept in touch through a Wi-Fi connection that works best in the middle of the night in Burma. Recently people in that region and in the school fled into the jungle as military helicopters and jet fighters swooped in, strafing inhabited areas, he said.

“When I talked to the camp leader (in the jungle), he said, ‘Can you pray for the Burmese military, that they will change their hearts and stop attacking them?’”

Pah Chi and his wife, and all of the Karen people, have relatives they worry about back in Myanmar, Father Seraphim said. Similar Catholic ethnic groups from Myanmar, including the Karenni and Chin, who have settled around the St. Bernard and St. Agnes neighborhoods in St. Paul, also worry about people back in their homeland, he said.

All of them pray for an end to the violence, Father Seraphim said, including at a March 13 prayer service at St. Patrick that centered on the turmoil in Myanmar and was led by Archbishop Bernard Hebda. About 120 people from the Karen, Karenni and Chin communities attended, praying a rosary for peace, taking time for adoration of the Eucharist and a reflection by the archbishop.

“I am grateful for the archbishop’s encouraging words to the people,” Father Seraphim said. “He gave a message of hope centered on Jesus

Christ. It is clear that the archbishop has a heart full of compassion for the people of Myanmar.”

Father Seraphim said he echoes what Pah Chi said about the need for intervention in Myanmar.

“The international community needs to help by putting more pressure on the Burmese military,” Father Seraphim said. “People living in bamboo homes can’t compete against fighter jets and helicopters shooting at them.”

Cultivate generosity at home.

Generosity is taught by example. Talk to your family about your giving — the why, when, and how. This will plant the seeds of generosity and introduce your children to the joy of philanthropy.

And your estate plan can enable your children to carry on your legacy of generosity.

Call 651.389.0300 or visit ccf-mn.org to learn more.

8 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

APRIL 15, 2021

NATION+WORLD Biden announces commission to study potential changes to Supreme Court

By Carol Zimmermann Catholic News Service President Joe Biden signed an executive order April 9 announcing the formation of a commission to look into possible reforms to the Supreme Court, including the idea of expanding the court or instituting term limits for justices.

The 36-member commission of mostly law school professors includes two professors from law schools at Catholic universities. The group is to spend 180 days studying potential changes to the court, holding public meetings and writing up a report at the end.

The members were not charged with making a formal recommendation, but instead are to provide an overview of the pros and cons of making changes to the nation’s high court.

The White House statement on the commission said its purpose is “to provide an analysis of the principal arguments in the contemporary public debate for and against Supreme Court reform, including an appraisal of the merits and legality of particular reform proposals.”

Biden first mentioned the idea of this type of commission during the presidential campaign last fall after the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and her replacement on the bench was quickly filled

by Justice Amy Coney Barrett, making the court comprised of six justices nominated by Republican presidents.

Although he didn’t often directly respond to questions about expanding the court, Biden has said he is “not a fan” of adding additional seats as a means to provide more of an ideological balance.

In an interview with Norah O’Donnell on CBS’s “60 Minutes” last fall, he said: “The last thing we need to do is turn the Supreme Court into just a political football, whoever has the most votes gets whatever they want. Presidents come and go. Supreme Court justices stay for generations.”

The commission reviewing the court is chaired by Bob Bauer, former White House counsel and professor and distinguished scholar in residence at New York University School of Law, and Cristina Rodríguez,

HEADLINES u Five priests, two nuns, three laypeople kidnapped in Haiti. The latest victims of rampant kidnappings in Haiti are five priests, two nuns and three laypeople who were abducted together on their way to a parish near the capital of Port-au-Prince early April 11. Kidnapping cases happen almost daily in Haiti, which has been experiencing increasing insecurity, political turmoil and gang violence; it is the poorest country in the Americas. “This new case is a reflection of the collapse of the security apparatus of the state and the country. No one seems to be safe anymore,” Redemptorist Father Renold Antoine told Fides, the news agency of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, April 12.

The kidnappers reportedly have demanded a ransom of $1 million for the group’s release. u Nations not working together seen as biggest failure of pandemic. The coronavirus pandemic has exposed how unprepared the world is — even wealthy, technologically advanced nations — to work together to stop an urgent crisis, Sister Carol Keehan said. Sister Keehan, a Daughter of Charity, who is the former president and CEO of the Catholic Health Association, told an April 7 World Health Day symposium on health equity that if the lessons of this pandemic are not learned, more people will needlessly die in future calamities. The virtual symposium was organized by Global Minnesota, which works

U.S. Supreme Court justices arrive at the 59th Presidential Inauguration in Washington Jan. 20 for the swearing in of President Joe Biden. Biden has established a commission to study the possible expansion of the Supreme Court.

CNS | WIN MCNAMEE, POOL VIA REUTERS

former deputy assistant attorney general and professor at Yale Law School.

The Catholic law school professors in the group are Caroline Fredrickson, a visiting professor at Georgetown University’s Law School, and Michael Ramsey, law professor at the University of San Diego.

Fredrickson is a senior fellow at the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University Law School and the former president of the American Constitution Society, which describes itself on its website as a leading legal progressive organization. Ramsey has written several books and scholarly articles on the courts and law.

After the commission was announced, Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell criticized it in a statement saying it was “a direct assault on our nation’s independent judiciary and another sign of the far-left's influence over the Biden administration.”

to advance international understanding and engagement; the GHR Foundation was the presenting sponsor. Sister Keehan now heads the health task force of the Vatican COVID-19 Commission established by Pope Francis. u Belfast bishop urges politicians to avoid inciting more violence. The Catholic bishop of Belfast urged politicians to be more careful about their language as the city was engulfed in nightly violence. Bishop Noel Treanor also appealed to young people “to stop engaging in disturbance and violent activity now” after 74 members of the police service were injured. Tension has risen after a decision by the authorities not to prosecute members of the Sinn Féin party — largely supported by Catholics — for breaches of COVID-19 restrictions at a funeral. The leader of the Democratic Unionist Party — largely supported by Protestants — has been deeply critical of the decision and called on police chief Simon Byrne to resign. The city has witnessed some of the worst rioting in recent years and, for the first time April 8, police used a water cannon to disperse young Protestants angry at the decision. u Poll finds church membership continues downward trend in 21st century. While fewer than half of American adults responding to a recent poll said they are members of a church, synagogue or mosque, the findings do not necessarily mean that people have lost faith in God, a pair of church observers said. Church membership in 2020 dropped to

The commission’s announcement also has drawn attention to the potential retirement of Justice Stephen Breyer, 82.

Just three days before the Biden announcement, Breyer gave a speech at Harvard Law School in which he warned against making big changes to the Supreme Court, including adding more justices to the bench. He said the court’s authority relies on a trust “guided by legal principle, not politics” and added that advocates proposing changes should think “long and hard” about it.

In an April 9 news conference, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said the president will wait for the commission to finish its work before weighing in about the court’s size.

Adding to the number of Supreme Court justices, which has been nine since just after the Civil War, would require congressional approval.

47% of the more than 6,100 respondents to a Gallup Poll. It is the first time since the polling firm started measuring church membership in 1937 that a minority of adults said they belonged to a formal religious institution. Back then, in the midst of the Great Depression, 73% of adults said they belonged to a church.

Over the next six decades, membership levels remained steady at about 70% before a measured decline began. The number of nonchurch members continues a downward trend that began at the turn of the 21st century. “The poll doesn’t note that fewer than 50% of American’s don’t believe in God. It’s important to note that across society, institutional belonging is not high right now,” said Timothy P. O’Malley, director of education at the McGrath Institute for Church Life at the University of Notre Dame. u Solidarity needed to reduce debt of poor nations, pope tells World Bank. Poor countries cannot be expected to recover from the current financial crisis if the world returns to an economic model in which a small minority of people owns half of the world’s wealth, Pope Francis said. In a message to participants at the World Bank Group and International Monetary Fund 2021 virtual spring meetings April 5-11, the pope said that despite “our deeply held convictions that all men and women are created equal, many of our brothers and sisters in the human family, especially those at the margins of society, are effectively excluded from the financial world. If we are to come out of this situation

as a better, more humane and solidary world, new and creative forms of social, political and economic participation must be devised, sensitive to the voice of the poor and committed to including them in the building of our common future,” he said. Although countries are formulating their own recovery plans, the pope wrote, there is a need for a global plan to create new institutions to advance “the integral human development of all peoples.” u Catholic investors call on Brazil’s government to better protect Amazon. More than 93 Catholic investors from around the world are calling on the Brazilian government to better protect the Amazon and the rights of its Indigenous population. The group sent a letter in late March to Brazilian officials, including President Jair Bolsonaro and Vice President Hamilton Mourão, listing about a dozen concrete demands for the protection of the rainforest and its Indigenous peoples.

Among the Catholic groups’ demands is the implementation of a consistent plan to combat deforestation, including a specific budget and measurable intermediate goals. u Catholic leaders welcome eviction moratorium extension to June 30. The eviction moratorium put in place by the Centers for Disease Control has been extended three months, until June 30. The order from Dr. Rochelle Walensky, CDC director, said the HEADLINES CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

NATION+WORLD

APRIL 15, 2021

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 9

Scholar urges Catholics to have courage to speak out against Equality Act

By Tony Gutiérrez Catholic News Service Catholic scholar and policy expert Ryan Anderson warned that if the Equality Act is passed by the Senate and signed into law, it would significantly impact women’s privacy and safety, genuine equality, medical practices and religious liberty.

It also would negatively affect Catholic schools, shelters, charities and hospitals, as well as individual educators, social workers and medical professionals who practice their faith, he said.

He made the remarks March 6 in the keynote address for the recent RYAN ANDERSON annual virtual fundraiser for the Diocese of Phoenix’s John Paul II Resource Center for Theology of the Body and Culture.

The Equality Act would amend the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity in employment, housing, public accommodations, public education, federal funding, the credit system and jury duty.

On Feb. 25, the U.S. House passed the bill in a 224206 vote. Now it will be taken up by the Senate; the first hearing on it was March 17 by the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Anderson, president of the Washington think tank Ethics and Public Policy Center, said the bill also would force access to women-only locker rooms, restrooms and shelters to anybody who identifies as a woman, regardless of biological difference.

He noted that while people experiencing gender dysphoria aren’t predisposed to violence, because anyone can claim to be a woman, “there will be abuses of that law.” It also would create disadvantages for female athletes by forcing them to compete against men identifying as women.

“Actual equality requires us to treat men and women

HEADLINES CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

extension was necessary to prevent potentially millions of renter households from being forced from their homes in the coming weeks. The action was welcomed by humanitarian and faith-based housing advocates, who sought the extension as the coronavirus pandemic continues and the number of reported cases continues to rise in much of the country. Leaders from three national Catholic organizations were among those urging the CDC to act on behalf of renters and homeowners who have fallen behind on rent or mortgage payments.

Sending the letter were Archbishop Paul Coakley of Oklahoma City, chairman of the U.S. bishops’ Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development; Dominican Sister Donna Markham, president and CEO of Catholic Charities USA; and Mercy Sister Mary Haddad, president and CEO of the Catholic Health Association of the United States. u Thieves steal cash, financial papers from Colombian bishops’ conference. Using guns and dressed as police, a group of thieves broke into the Colombian bishops’ conference headquarters in Bogota and took a safe that contained cash, checkbooks and deeds to bank accounts that the Church uses to finance programs for the poor. The assault on Church property took place the night of March 29 as violent crimes increased in Colombia following a 7% contraction of the economy last year and high unemployment due to the pandemic. u Priest, six others killed by armed gunmen at Nigerian parish. Father Ferdinand Fanen Ngugban and six others died of gunshot wounds after armed gunmen invaded the grounds of St. Paul Parish in Ayetwar March 30, said the Diocese of Katsina-Ala. “He

equally, but differently,” he said. “In order to treat them equally, we created equal athletic opportunities ... so our daughters can compete at the highest levels of athletics against people with bodies like theirs.”

The act also would require medical professionals to provide sex-change therapies and procedures that would violate not only their conscience and religious beliefs, Anderson said, but also their best medical judgment.

“People who feel that sense of discomfort and alienation, they’re not faking it, and they aren’t actively choosing it, but they’re not getting the healing that they deserve,” he said.

Anderson cited a 2011 Swedish study that found individuals who had undergone sex reassignment surgeries were 19 times more likely to commit or attempt to commit suicide, although the study’s authors’ proposed solution was to offer more psychological care in addition to hormone therapy and surgery.

He said children are being encouraged to go through gender transition, citing a Children’s Hospital Los Angeles study of doctors who perform double mastectomies on 13-year-old girls. Treatments for such transitions include puberty-blocking drugs and hormonal therapies and, eventually, surgery.

“It’s one thing if an adult says, ‘It’s my life, I’m free to make mistakes.’ It’s a whole other thing if adults tell a child that they’re actually trapped in the wrong body,” he said.

He said that it would be an injustice if, for example, a person were denied COVID-19 treatment because he or she identified as LGBT, but that’s not what is actually happening.

“What’s happening is that they’re using a nonexistent hypothetical to then pass a law that actually says ... hospitals have to do sex reassignment procedures,” he continued. “They're pulling on the heartstrings of American people, and then they’re saying all sorts of reasonable and true beliefs will now be treated as unjust discrimination.”

AMAZON REMOVES BOOK A book Ryan Anderson wrote to address issues of gender, “When Harry Became Sally: Responding to the Transgender Moment,” was recently removed from Amazon’s website. Brian Huseman, Amazon’s vice president for public policy, wrote in a letter that the book was removed because it frames “LGBTQ+ identity as a mental illness.”

In a response issued through the 2018 book’s publisher, Encounter Books, Anderson said there is consensus that those dealing with gender dysphoria experience “great suffering,” but there is debate “about how best to treat patients who experience gender dysphoria. ... No good comes from shutting down a debate about important matters on which reasonable people of goodwill disagree.”

Anderson said Amazon’s move provided publicity for his book and helped increase sales, but it has negative consequences for authors and book publishers and for those looking for helpful resources. For fear of being de-platformed by Amazon, Anderson said authors and publishers could begin self-censoring. “This is going to have a chilling effect on our ability to communicate the truth,” he said. Amazon controls 50% of print book sales and 75% of e-book sales, according to the Association of American Publishers.

— Tony Gutiérrez Anderson said there are two extremes that must be rejected: One is the idea that there are no differences between men and women, and the other relies on “radical stereotypes” that paralyze women.

“John Paul wants to reject both of those extremes and say men and women are equal, but they’re different,” he said. “They’re complementary, and that the full image of God is both, that it takes both a man and a woman to fully be the ‘imago Dei’ (image of God).”

was shot in the head as he tried to take cover after sighting some armed gunmen,” the diocese said. Father Ngugban, who served as assistant pastor at St. Paul parish, was ordained a priest in 2015. The gunmen reportedly raided the village and set houses on fire before attacking the parish. u Pope celebrates Holy Thursday Mass with Cardinal Becciu. Pope Francis celebrated a private Mass on Holy Thursday with Cardinal Angelo Becciu, the former prefect of the Congregation for Saints’ Causes who was forced to resign amid an investigation into suspected financial malfeasance. Several Italian journalists said Cardinal Becciu confirmed the pope celebrated the Mass in the cardinal’s private chapel April 1. The Vatican press office issued no statement regarding the Mass. However, Vatican News reported that several members of the Focolare movement who were present at the Mass confirmed the pope’s presence. A Vatican official told Catholic News Service, “It doesn’t seem strange to me that he (the pope) would make such a gesture of paternity on a day like today, Holy Thursday.” The news of the pope’s private Mass with Cardinal Becciu came as a surprise given the circumstances that led to his resignation in September. During a news conference Sept. 25, the cardinal said Pope Francis told him he was being investigated for embezzling an estimated 100,000 euros ($116,361) of Vatican funds and redirecting them to Spes, a Caritas organization run by his brother, Tonino Becciu, in his home Diocese of Ozieri, Sardinia. No formal charges have been filed against the cardinal. However, Cardinal Becciu has filed lawsuits against two news outlets, accusing them of defamation and claiming that the reports ruined his reputation.

— Catholic News Service

A forum series exploring critical needs in our community as well as hopeful solutions

Join us for a virtual panel discussion Spiritual Forum

ANSWERING THE BAPTISMAL CALL

Why are lay leaders crucial for parish revitalization?

THU. APR. 29. 2021 | 7:00 – 8:00 PM Online, via Zoom webinar

NOW VIRTUAL Forums are free.

Registration is required.

MODERATOR Alexia Kelley – President and CEO, Donors and Foundations Interested in Catholic Activities (FADICA) PANELISTS FROM • Leadership Roundtable • Basilica of Saint Mary • Latino Ministry, Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis

Register at www.ccf-mn.org/forums

10 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

Nurturing ‘CATHOLIC SPROUTS’ Nancy Bandzuch’s mission to empower Catholic parents

By Christina Capecchi For The Catholic Spirit

N

ancy Bandzuch is hunkered down in the closet, beneath the spare sheets and above her MacBook and microphone, her curly dark hair swept back, ready to seize her toddler’s naptime and record another podcast that will soon travel from her Delano home to Catholic families across the globe.

The closet, it turns out, is the ideal recording studio for this busy mom. “Hanging clothes all around you is really good for acoustics,” Bandzuch says with a laugh.

It’s a metaphor for her ability to make the most of real life, embracing the good-enough rather than waiting idly for perfect circumstances. The result is formidable: The 39-year-old entrepreneur works magic from the closet, with the help of modern technology, a wealth of experience and plenty of grace.

Her 2-year-old “Catholic Sprouts” podcast, a daily podcast to teach kids about Catholicism and the flagship product of her growing ministry, has been downloaded more than 3 million times.

Her inbox teems with messages from far-flung parents and teachers who are grateful for the press-and-play catechism plug-in.

The closet is also an explanation for Bandzuch’s success: She’s not isolated in a pristine studio, she’s fully immersed in motherhood, and she’s sharing from that perspective, working in a green one-story home filled with five kids and “2 million Legos.”

It’s that humor and humility that make Bandzuch so relatable. When it comes to the evangelization of children, her “If we can do it, you can do it” attitude shines through. That’s precisely her goal.

“I was feeling a failure to catechize my children as I assumed I would,” she said, recalling her struggles early in parenthood. “Life kind of got in the way. Things were hard. I would lose my temper.”

From the beginning, parenthood proved harder than she expected. Transitioning from her outside job to becoming a stay-at-home mom at 29 was not smooth. As a teacher, she’d received incredible feedback. Suddenly her boss was a newborn baby. Her mission was no longer to educate a classroom of children but to change the diapers of one.

“It’s hard to let go of that external validation,” Bandzuch said.

The example of St. Therese of Lisieux took on new meaning: to do small things with love and grow closer to Jesus through those little efforts.

“I’m such a devotee of the Little Way and the idea that I can do the most mundane tasks and that it matters,” she said. “It opened up motherhood to me.”

Babies followed in rapid succession: Gus, now 9; Bernadette, 8; Dominic, 6; Josephine, 4; a beloved stillborn baby named Max, whom they lost in late 2017; and George, 2.

All the while, Bandzuch has clung to the Little Way. “When I’m struggling, when my kid’s not listening, when there’s the drudgery of

motherhood — that’s so intertwined with my life.”

It was a balm for the melancholic mom, who describes herself as “a deep feeler, a deep thinker, a closet crier.”

Also life-giving: her habit of praying the rosary each day when she puts a baby down for a nap.

That quiet time of nursing and rocking has always felt like the perfect time to be “united with Mary,” she said. She’s come to depend on the “spiritual protection.”

FILLING A VOID The idea of a Catholic ministry for parents had been slowly taking root, but the impetus came when she delivered her stillborn son and felt a strong presence of Mary in the hospital room.

“My husband and I felt transformed,” she said.

A few months later, she reassessed her online presence and surveyed the Catholic media landscape.

The charge to be her children’s “primary teachers” of the faith, as articulated in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, felt daunting — and there was so little practical support to do so.

“If we’re going to claim that every home is a domestic church — that’s beautiful, but how?

You put this big burden on my shoulders, that my family will renew the Church, but you don’t have any guidance for me to do that!”

When she did find advice on evangelization, it came from parents of 10 grown kids who attended the Triduum liturgies and behaved perfectly.

While she admired them, she didn’t relate.

A parishioner of St. Maximilian Kolbe in Delano (where her children attend the parish school), Bandzuch felt called to help fill the “big gaping hole.” She craved a simple solution: something she could press play on to inject kid-friendly Catholic instruction into her home on a daily basis. A fan of audio books, she envisioned a podcast that would feel intimate.

If she could make a podcast simply to benefit her own kids, it would be worthwhile. “Even if it’s only us listening over breakfast, at least I can send them to school each day confident that I’d fulfilled my duty to catechize,” she said.

It all tied back to St. Therese, the Little Flower, and the idea of planting seeds of faith in children — hence the name “Catholic Sprouts.”

“We put it out into the world,” she said. “We didn’t market it. We didn’t expect anything.”

The positive feedback came more quickly and enthusiastically than she ever imagined. “That’s been a huge confirmation that this was needed, and that I wasn’t the only one failing to catechize my children.”

More than two years later, the podcast has garnered enduring popularity. Averaging five minutes in length and released each weekday, it can be listened to through Apple, Google Play, Sticher and YouTube. Each podcast explores an aspect of Catholicism — liturgical seasons, saints, virtues, commandments — and ends with a challenge.

Learning new technologies and keeping up with new platforms is part of the gig. “If I need to figure something out, someone made a YouTube (video) about (it),” Bandzuch said. “Sometimes, I feel like our site is held together with Scotch tape, but it’s working.”

Though most people first discover Catholic Sprouts through the podcast, many are now

connected through a private Facebook group that numbers 7,000. “It’s the nicest place on the internet!” Bandzuch said.

They find other resources on the website (catholicsprouts.com), including a small shop and patches that resemble embroidered scouting badges. They reward kids for completing certain challenges such as a commitment to the rosary, to adoration, to learning about Scripture and to performing works of mercy.

Memories of her early struggles in motherhood color the language. “We believe that all Catholic parents need support, resources, community and inspiration,” the site states. “And we believe that teaching the Catholic faith can (and should) be fun and rewarding work.”

What that looks like varies by family. For Bandzuch, it does not involve glue. “I do not love liturgical crafts. I’m a big fan of stories! My favorite part of the day is doing a read-aloud novel right before bed. I’m the one saying, ‘Can we do one more chapter?’”

She’s read the “Little H series by Laura Ingalls Wi House” series, written by chronicle the 19th centur perspective.

Learning about saints l keeps a huge stack of sain bed. “I’m always looking Earlier this year we dove like that was a real need i some of those amazing sa Modern saints, in parti powerful to say, ‘You can living in a medieval castle to me. Sainthood is here Her voracious reading i podcasts, including “The Duluth priest Father Mike “I cannot believe I’d en Leviticus so much!” she s Sometimes I’ll go to a fur I can have an extra 10 mi

House on the Prairie” ilder and “The Birchbark Louise Erdrich to ry from the Ojibwe

lights up Bandzuch, who nt biographies by her for new types of saints. into Black saints. I felt in the world, to celebrate aints.” icular, inspire her. “It’s so n be a saint and not le.’ That’s a wake-up call and now.” is supplemented with e Bible in a Year” by e Schmitz. njoy listening to said. “It’s baffling! rther grocery store just so inutes to listen to a

APRIL 15, 2021 • 11

FAR LEFT From left, Josephine (Jo Jo), Bernadette, Dominic, Nancy and George Bandzuch spend time in their kitchen working on coloring.

LEFT An image of Nancy’s Catholic Sprouts website appears on a laptop in her podcast studio.

LEFT While Nancy works in her podcast studio, Bernadette slips in for a peek.

LOWER LEFT Nancy reads one of her Catholic Sprouts books to Gus. LOWER RIGHT The Bandzuch family, from left: Bernadette, Dominic, Nancy, George, Bill, Josephine and Gus. PHOTOS BY DAVE HRBACEK THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

podcast.”

Bandzuch’s desire to learn more about her faith and to share it is “insatiable,” said her husband, Bill, who works in accounting.

“Nancy is always in action,” he said. “It’s truly the inspiration of the Holy Spirit that keeps her moving.”

He marvels over the many ways God prepared her for this ministry. First, there were the years of contest speech, which she participated in during high school and college. It honed her engaging speaking style that makes the podcast so effective. Then came her teaching career, when she learned how to break down difficult material for children.

THE NEXT STEP Her innate curiosity and professional experience received a practical boost when Our Sunday Visitor issued a Catholic Innovators challenge. Bandzuch won and received a grant to

build her latest endeavor, The Domestic Church Project, along with an app.

The Domestic Church Project is a six-week training program to teach parents how to talk about the faith. The launch happened earlier this year, at a time when the Bandzuch family was pulled away to be with Bill’s dying sister. Still, it generated amazing results: 800 families have already signed up.

“The one thing I learned is that when you accept the Holy Spirit is your coworker, you expect that he pulls his weight,” Bandzuch said.

“And if he doesn’t, there’s a lot of peace in knowing that.”

It gives her a relaxed attitude about her work.

“If it’s going to be, it’s going to be. It makes selling things, like a six-week program, a lot easier. There’s not desperation.”

That attitude is evident in her parenting, too.

“I’m definitely Type B or C or D,” she said. “I’m not a big planner.”

It translates to the kids’ extracurricular pursuits, which she and Bill try to limit to one activity at a time.

The experience of quarantining during COVID-19 and cutting off all outside activities illustrated the beauty of time together as a family and simple playtime outside.

“When the pandemic hit and suddenly there were no kid activities or pressure to sign up for them, I secretly rejoiced,” she said.

Bandzuch grew up “running wild” on a cattle farm outside Marshall in southwestern Minnesota, and she’s happy to let her kids do the same. Their backyard overlooks a big park and fields, so her children are able to roam. As more vaccinations are offered and regular activities resume, Bandzuch plans to be “more selective” about what they join.

Connecting with other Catholic parents continues to be a solace. She receives thousands of emails from parents, and she relishes the

opportunity to correspond with them. But she’s not going to weigh in on sleep training.

“I hear from brand-new moms and dads, and they’re asking really specific questions for advice.

I never give those things. There’s plenty of advice available online. I’ve realized through a lot of trial and error that the way my domestic church runs here is going to be radically different from the next person. God’s imprint on them is different. Instead of scouring the blogs for the right tips, I should be spending my time praying the rosary and asking for the humility to keep going.”

She doesn’t hesitate, though, to share her shortcomings. That helps her appeal to all parents, whether they’re traditional Catholics or spiritual nomads. “I have found that what attracts people is when you’re willing to show your brokenness. When you say, ‘I’m not perfect. I lose my cool with my kids, but I’m still Catholic. I’m still trying.’ Whether you’re standing in front of icons or not, if you’re willing to be honest about who you are, that’s all that matters.”

Meanwhile, Bandzuch has endless material to share through Catholic Sprouts. She sees her faith as a vast treasure, and getting to showcase a new jewel each day revs her up.

“As Catholics, we get to stand on the shoulders of the giants that came before us,” she said. “We get to take JPII (St. John Paul II) and St. Therese or St. Catherine of Siena — these beautiful concepts that come to us through prayer, we have these things to use. I love to take those things and reimagine them in a way that will interact with every age in a family. How can I take the concept of the Little Way and maybe write a new story about it? Or take some of the deeper concepts of JPII’s Theology of the Body and make it something fresh and totally accessible? That’s my passion. I just find it so exciting as a Catholic that we have access to these deep truths and we’re invited to make something beautiful with them.”

12 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

APRIL 15 2021

FAITH+CULTURE

Serving up clean entertainment and inside jokes

By Christina Capecchi For The Catholic Spirit

That kind of stuff happens, especially when things seem most dire.

Q What have you learned from this

It’s amazing what you can do with a few talented friends, Kickstarter and a leap of faith. That’s what Matt and Lisa Martinusen discovered in 2018 when they launched their hugely successful “Catholic Card Game.” The 20-somethings, members of St. Joseph in West St. Paul and parents to three young children, shared their story.

entrepreneurial experience?

A Matt: Even if it’s big, like asking for

$22,000, make the leap and trust that if it’s meant to happen, it will. I realized the worst they can do is say no. I used to be deathly afraid of even calling the pizza place to order a pizza.

Lisa: Give it your all and trust. We have tried to launch a couple other things, thinking, “Oh, we have an audience, this will go great.” And it flopped. We learned to go deeper, not wider. When we start thinking in terms of dollar bill signs, that’s when we fail. We have to truly enter into it with a pure intention.

Q You two met in college and first bonded over tattoos.

A Lisa: I was sitting outside my

classroom, sketching a tattoo I was going to get on my foot using a Sharpie, and Matt walked out.

Q Now you’re married and you have five tattoos and Matt has four, all with Catholic imagery.

Q And you may not be rolling in the

A Matt: I have a crown of thorns on

DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

my arms and the 12 stars of Mary.

Lisa: I have a skull on my arm for Memento Mori with St. Philomena artwork in the skull. We get them to draw us closer to the Lord. They’re reminders. I would like a sleeve (a full arm of tattoos).

“Oh, this actually could be a game.”

We studied “Cards Against Humanity” and also used “Apples to Apples” for reference and saw that they had 400 cards, so we put in the effort to think up more ideas.

Matt: And I’m headed that way. We’re so young, if we get one a year …

Lisa: Which was not hard.

Q Do some Catholics judge them?

A Matt: There’s a distinct line between older Catholics and younger Catholics, who embrace them. We’ve never received harsh judgment.

Lisa: I have as a woman from other women. It’s raised an eyebrow. But when you tell the story or it opens up a conversation, people can be quite interested.

Q How did you come up with the

idea for “The Catholic Card Game?”

A Matt: I saw an advertisement

for an IT version of “Cards Against Humanity.” It was very niche to IT folks, with jokes only they would understand, and that sparked my thinking. If that niche audience can do this, then we for sure could have our own version of the game. It was 4 a.m.

— I couldn’t sleep. I wrote 20 ideas on my phone. Later that day Lisa laughed at some and started throwing out ideas. Once we had ideas for questions or answers for 100 cards we thought,

Matt: Yeah, we just had to go to Mass a few more times.

Lisa: Many of the cards are drawn from real stories. “The sacristan who rules with an iron fist” — that was from my sister’s wedding. “Being in 10 weddings in one year” was something we experienced.

Q Then, come January 2018, you

created a Kickstarter page with the hope of raising $22,000 for your first printing run, and you ended up with $29,000, enough to make 800 games.

Each contributor was, in essence, putting in a pre-order for the $25 game. You did a second run later in the year, hoping for $45,000 and you raised $67,000. Incredible!

A Matt: It was a big leap of faith. I

emailed a few people — a friend who was an administrator on a bigger Catholic-memes page — and their posts put it on the map. It spread on social media. Someone said, “Hey, a Catholic product from someone with an actual sense of humor.” It was striking a chord

FUNERAL CHAPELS, INC. Robbinsdale • Plymouth • St. Louis Park Please cut out form below and mail to: 3888 West Broadway • Robbinsdale, MN 55422

Name Address City

State

Zip

o Please mail information regarding pre-need funeral arrangements. o Please have a funeral director call me with information regarding prearrangements. My phone number is

with young Catholics, who it was made for. We weren’t trying to pose; we were part of it.

Q Now this is your full-time job, Matt.

A Matt: It was always my dream to

be self-employed, but I never knew how. Then I lost my job at a nonprofit that was running out of money due to COVID. We’d just had our third baby.

We had to go for it.

Q Is it working?

A Matt: We are by no means rolling

in the dough. I have friends who are getting promotions and bigger paychecks. I could do that, but then I would be gone. I’m home. I look at myself as a business owner but also a very present father. We’re choosing to live with less money but then have the freedom to both be home. That’s amazing.

Q How do you cut costs?

A Matt: All our stuff is used.

Lisa: We struggle with it. As my uncle says, “We have champagne taste on a beer budget.” But there is always something to get handed down. I went to bring the trash out the other day, and as I was coming up, someone had left a meal with a treat on our doorstep.

dough, but your game has had a huge reach — it was played by Bishop Robert Barron; it inspired Halloween costumes.

A Matt: The reviews on our website

are all 5-stars. We’re hearing amazing things. Making something that people really love is such an encouragement to print it again and add more expansions.

Now our focus is to look at the problem this game is solving. It strengthens friendships and builds communities, especially for a generation that says they’re alone. It brings families and friends together.

Q What makes your house a Catholic home?

A Lisa: We have imagery in our house

to remind us Jesus loves us. We have beautiful images and a lot of different races. We write prayers on a little chalkboard. Some things, we’re rocky at.

Matt: We tried to do the Jesse Tree for Advent and our kids just fought over the ornaments. So, we’re just trying to live in a way that’s loving.

Lisa: It’s more free-flow than we experienced in our childhood. It’s more, “Let’s do our best.” After we do a meal prayer, we throw our hands up and shout, “Praise the Lord!” That’s a really fun way to love the Lord. We watch a lot of “Daniel Tiger.” It’s not all Catholic books and imagery. But it always circles back to that.

Learn more at catholiccardgame.com.

Does THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT just show up in your mailbox?

It’s not divine intervention.

Did you know that most of The Catholic Spirit readers receive subscriptions through their parishes?

To keep up-to-date on the Synod and other news and events in our local Church, contact your parish office today!

FAITH+CULTURE

APRIL 15, 2021

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 13

‘Best day ever:’ Family of five receives sacraments together

By Barb Umberger The Catholic Spirit

B

aptisms, first Communions, confirmation and convalidation of a marriage.

All happened one day last August at Blessed Sacrament in St. Paul among members of the Larry and Judith Ngonu family. The couple and their oldest of three sons, Joe Carlyn, are natives of Cameroon. They were strengthened by their faith in a long path to the United States and full communion with the Catholic Church.

The journey was made as a close, strong and persevering family, one that prays the rosary together every evening.

“You pray a rosary with all your heart, you will see miracles,” Judith said. “The boys will remind me that it’s time to pray.”

A lottery win in 1999 enabled Larry, then a resident of Cameroon, to start a path to a new life. No, he didn’t win a large cash prize. He won the chance to move to the United States and pursue education and career opportunities. And raise a family.

Judith, who married Larry in a civil ceremony during a brief visit that he made to Cameroon after he emigrated, would say that her biggest “win” happened last summer, when the couple’s marriage was convalidated on the same day their three sons received sacraments including first Communion.

“That was my best day ever,” she said.

Larry won his immigration opportunity through the U.S.-sponsored Diversity Immigrant Visa Program.

Winning applicants’ names are drawn at random each year. After interviewing for the visa process, choosing a sponsor and

DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

From left, Joe Carlyn, Larry, Tyrick, Jaden and Judith Ngonu stand together after Mass March 28 at Blessed Sacrament in St. Paul. waiting for paperwork to be processed, he moved to the U.S. in November 2000.

As children, Larry, 50, and Judith, 44, were baptized and received the Eucharist and the sacrament of reconciliation in Cameroon, where Judith was also confirmed. Joe Carlyn, 15, was baptized in Cameroon. Larry said his home country has a lot of religions, but the Catholic faith is predominant.

It took about eight years of waiting and paperwork before Judith and Joe Carlyn could join Larry in the U.S. Their two youngest sons, Jaden, 11, and Tyrick, 8, were born in the U.S. Larry first lived in Minnesota, where he trained to become a nursing assistant. He moved to Maryland, where he completed his education to become a nurse, and then back to Minnesota.

Living in Maplewood today, the family felt welcomed when they visited Blessed Sacrament. “People said ‘welcome, where are you from?’” Judith said, adding that it quickly felt like home.

All five attended the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (and Children) at Blessed Sacrament starting in fall 2019 as they prepared to receive more sacraments.

Connie Hill, faith formation director at Blessed Sacrament, described the Ngonus as a fervent and faith-filled family that perseveres.

“It was so humbling and such an honor to work with them because they were so faithful and so committed to the many preparations,” she said. She noted “all the things that the boys did” to complete the Catechesis of the

Good Shepherd and prepare for their sacraments.

Because the COVID-19 pandemic canceled Easter Masses in 2020, the Ngonus were unable to receive sacraments at the Easter Vigil. But the pastor of Blessed Sacrament, Father Benny Mekkatt, a member of the Congregation of the Sons of the Immaculate Conception who is known to parishioners as Father Benny, held a special Mass for the family and their guests last August, and administered sacraments.

Ngonu family members and friends from Maryland and Ohio attended the church service celebrating the convalidation of Judith and Larry’s marriage and to see Larry confirmed, the two younger boys baptized and all three boys receive their first Communion.

“It was a beautiful celebration,” Father Benny said. “It was a great thing,” Larry added.

After the service and to help prevent spread of the novel coronavirus in the midst of the pandemic, the family and guests celebrated with a socially distanced barbecue in a local park.

Joe Carlyn will be confirmed in May. The other four family members usually attend his confirmation classes because they follow Sunday Mass and it’s a chance to learn more, Judith said.

The two youngest boys serve at Mass every other Sunday, and they assisted with Stations of the Cross during Lent.

Coming all the way from Africa, the journey was not easy for the family, Father Benny said. “But they persevere with a strong faith and also keep their faith strong and bring that beautiful tradition from back home and bring up the children in a strong faith,” he said.

Priest in Venezuela ‘pedals’ Palm Sunday blessings amid hardships

By Dave Hrbacek The Catholic Spirit

in the area, many of whom work jobs paying only minimum wage. Father Greg Schaffer, pastor of the parish, noted that the cost of a chicken — $8.25 — is the equivalent of four months’ salary, while a 2-pound can of powdered milk costs the equivalent of three months’ salary.

F

ather Dennis Dempsey got creative when churches in Venezuela were closed to public Masses due to a recent COVID-19 outbreak. He ministers in San Felix at Jesucristo Resucitado, a mission parish of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. It is comprised of 11 neighborhoods, or barrios, all within walking distance of the church.

As Holy Week drew near, Catholics in the barrios learned they would have to stay at home and pray solely with family members after the government mandated the closure of all churches to minimize the spread of the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19.

Or so they thought. Enter Father Dempsey, who found a creative way to, as he put it, “bring the church to the people.”

Beginning at 8 a.m. on Palm Sunday March 28, he went on a 10-mile bike tour and made 29 stops lasting 5 minutes each as he pedaled his way through all 11 barrios until about 1:15 p.m. He did a short prayer service at each stop, blessed people’s palm branches and handed out copies of a two-page pamphlet outlining how people could celebrate Holy Week at home.

“The response was quite enthusiastic at most sites,” the 73-year-old priest wrote in an email to The Catholic Spirit. “At one location, there was an evangelical prayer group a few houses away (there are more than 60 evangelical churches in the territory of our parish) with a loud sound system blasting away. We had no sound system, but our people’s response and singing overpowered the sound of the other group.”

People came in droves to take advantage of the Palm Sunday blessings, with more than 300 families coming to stops in their respective neighborhoods. Some even

Also factoring into the economic equation is health care, with people struggling to get the care they need and having to forego things like clinic visits or hospital stays. And, there is no private or public health insurance for the people in San Felix.

COURTESY FATHER DENNIS DEMPSEY

Father Dennis Dempsey, right, blesses palms March 28 during a prayer service he led in one of the neighborhoods in San Felix, Venezuela, located in the parish of Jesucristo Resucitado. ran to the next stop when they arrived late to the stop nearest their home. One teenager jumped on his bike and went with Father Dempsey for three more stops.

The turnout “amazed” Father Dempsey, who noted the extreme economic hardships faced by residents in these poverty-stricken neighborhoods.

For the last several years, Venezuela “has been suffering the effects of hyperinflation,” Father Dempsey wrote. When he arrived in July 2019, the currency exchange rate was 12,000 Bolivar Soberanos to the U.S. dollar. “Now, 20 months later, the rate is over 2 million Bolivares to the dollar,” he wrote.

The dramatic increase in inflation means that basic necessities like food are nearly unaffordable for people

Thankfully, the parish is able to supply some assistance for food and health care. Jesucristo Resucitado operates a soup kitchen to provide meals for the needy, and it provides medicine through donations.

The archdiocese contributes through the annual Catholic Services Appeal and through donations from individuals, parishes and groups such as the St. Vincent de Paul Society, which has sent containers of food, medicine and supplies.

Another blessing for Father Schaffer, who has been at the parish for 23 years, is working alongside Father Dempsey, who is in his second assignment at the parish. He ministered there from 1994 to 1999, serving as pastor, with Father Schaffer as his associate. Both priests said they are glad to be serving together again in Venezuela, as the mission celebrates its 50th anniversary this year.

“I am constantly amazed at the people’s resilience and faith, and focusing on the positive despite the hardship of their situation,” Father Dempsey wrote. “When I meet someone on the street and ask how they are doing, the response is almost always, ‘Excellent,’ or ‘All is good, thanks be to God.’ People are so generous, even though they have so very little for themselves.”

14 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

APRIL 15, 2021

FOCUSONFAITH DAILY Scriptures

SUNDAY SCRIPTURES | FATHER ARIC AAMODT

Experiencing the truly risen Jesus

Someone once asked me, “Father, can I really see God?” And I responded wholeheartedly, “Yes!” She still seemed skeptical, which her next question proved: “But how?” How, indeed, can we see God? Jesus starts to answer that question in what he does in his appearance to his disciples after his resurrection. Really, his words could be said to this person just as well as to his disciples: “Why do questions arise in your hearts? Look at my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me and see, because a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you can see I have.”

The first step in coming to see the risen Jesus is understanding that very reality: Jesus really rose from the dead! He didn’t rise in some metaphorical, spiritual, ephemeral way. No, he rose physically, tangibly, absolutely. To use our language about the Eucharist, we could say that Jesus rose really, truly and substantially: body, blood, soul and divinity. When we seek Jesus, we aren’t seeking an idea or something purely spiritual. We’re seeking the one who, after he rose from the dead, “showed them his hands and his feet.” The one who, when “they gave him a piece of baked fish, he took it and ate it in front of them.”

But Jesus isn’t sitting at my dinner table. The disciples had that great advantage, but how can I experience the truly risen Jesus?

St. Augustine comes to the rescue here. St. Augustine teaches that we have five spiritual senses that are like our five physical senses: sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch. We have a similar experience in our souls with these spiritual senses to what we experience in our bodies with the physical senses.

In his “Confessions,” St. Augustine writes: “What is it that I love in loving You? Not corporeal beauty, nor the splendor of time, nor the radiance of the light, so pleasant to our eyes, nor the sweet melodies of songs of all kinds, nor the fragrant smell of flowers, and

FAITH FUNDAMENTALS | FATHER MICHAEL VAN SLOUN

Confirmation is a Pentecost event

The same Holy Spirt that descended upon the Apostles on the first Pentecost descends upon those who are confirmed, and the dramatic changes that took place in the followers of Christ from that moment on can and will take place in those who are confirmed — if they cooperate with the powerful graces that they receive.

The Apostles were changed forever for the better.

The Apostles had been unfaithful. They had abandoned and denied Jesus. With the Holy Spirit, they never wavered and were totally loyal, committed and trustworthy for the rest of their lives.

The Apostles were sinners, broken and ashamed. With the Holy Spirit, they were forgiven, healed, granted peace, reconciled to Jesus and restored to grace.

The Apostles were sad and dejected over their master’s death and their uncertain future. With the Holy Spirit, they were filled with joy and given a sense of purpose as they moved ahead.

The Apostles had been men of little faith. With the Holy Spirit, their faith was roused, animated, strengthened and solidified.

The Apostles had been doubtful, worried and afraid. With the Holy Spirit, they were reassured, confident and courageous.

The Apostles had been shy, timid, reserved and silent. With the Holy Spirit, they were bold, assertive and outspoken. They gave excellent example and bore powerful witness to their faith.

The first step in coming to see the risen Jesus is understanding that very reality: Jesus really rose from the dead!

Sunday, April 18 Third Sunday of Easter Acts 3:13-15, 17-19 1 Jn 2:1-5a Lk 24:35-48 Monday, April 19 Acts 6:8-15 Jn 6:22-29 Tuesday, April 20 Acts 7:51–8:1a Jn 6:30-35

iSTOCK PHOTO | KEVINSCHREIBER

ointments, and spices, not manna and honey, not limbs pleasant to the embraces of flesh. I love not these things when I love my God; and yet I love a certain kind of light, and sound, and fragrance, and food, and embrace in loving my God, who is the light, sound, fragrance, food, and embrace of my inner man — where that light shines unto my soul which no place can contain, where there is sound which time snatches not away, where there is a fragrance which no breeze disperses, where there is a food which no eating can diminish, and where there is a bond of union which no satiety can sunder. This is what I love, when I love my God.” These experiences are no less real than the experiences the disciples had of Jesus after his resurrection. It is the same Jesus who showed his disciples his hands and feet who became St. Augustine’s light, sound, fragrance, food and embrace, and who also becomes our life. In prayer and in the sacraments, we experience the risen Jesus both physically and spiritually. The light of the Paschal candle, the sound of his word proclaimed, the fragrance of incense, the food of the most holy Eucharist, and the embrace of our brothers and sisters in the Body of Christ all lead us to experience Jesus with our spiritual senses, too. And so, we not only see God, but experience him with our whole being, and like the disciples we are filled with joy.

Father Aamodt is associate pastor of St. Hubert in Chanhassen. He can be reached at aric.aamodt@st.hubert.org.

The Apostles had hidden behind barred doors in the safety and privacy of the Upper Room. With the Holy Spirit, they went outdoors and publicly took the message of Jesus to the streets and the rooftops.

The Apostles had been followers. With the Holy Spirit they became leaders.

The Apostles had been ambitious, competed among themselves and were indignant with each other. With the Holy Spirit, they were humble, cooperated with each other and respected each other.

The Apostles had been loosely connected, independent and self-absorbed. With the Holy Spirit, they were united in mind and heart, prayed and ate their meals together, held their possessions in common, were generous with the needy, put their neighbors ahead of themselves and were devoted to service.

The Apostles had cautiously stayed close to home. With the Holy Spirit, they were emboldened and traveled far and wide as missionaries.

The Apostles had been weak and ineffective. With the Holy Spirit, they cured the sick, drove out demons, preached the Gospel, gained new believers and worked mighty deeds in Jesus’ name.

The Apostles clung to their possessions, loved their human lives on earth, avoided pain and suffering and were unwilling to die for anyone or anything. With the Holy Spirit, they were willing to sacrifice everything, hated their lives, picked up their crosses, embraced their hardships, withstood persecution and risked their lives. All but one willingly died as martyrs for the sake of Jesus and the Gospel.

The Holy Spirit galvanized the faith of each Apostle on the first Pentecost, and the Holy Spirit galvanizes the faith of each person who is confirmed.

Father Van Sloun is pastor of St. Bartholomew in Wayzata. This column is part of an ongoing series on confirmation. Find the full series at TheCatholicSpirit.com.

KNOW the SAINTS ST. GIANNA BERETTA MOLLA Born near Milan, Italy, Gianna was one of 13 children in a deeply Catholic family. She wed Pietro Molla in 1955. They had three children while she continued to work as a physician. When she was pregnant with their fourth child, doctors discovered a large uterine tumor. She insisted that surgeons not remove her entire uterus, which would have aborted the baby, but only what was necessary to allow the baby to reach term. She died seven days after giving birth in 1962. Her husband and three of her children were present in 2004 when Pope John Paul II proclaimed her a saint. Her feast day is April 28.

— Catholic News Service

Wednesday, April 21 Acts 8:1b-8 Jn 6:35-40 Thursday, April 22 Acts 8:26-40 Jn 6:44-51 Friday, April 23 Acts 9:1-20 Jn 6:52-59 Saturday, April 24 Acts 9:31-42 Jn 6:60-69 Sunday, April 25 Fourth Sunday of Easter Acts 4:8-12 1 Jn 3:1-2 Jn 10:11-18 Monday, April 26 Acts 11:1-18 Jn 10:1-10 Tuesday, April 27 Acts 11:19-26 Jn 10:22-30 Wednesday, April 28 Acts 12:24–13:5a Jn 12:44-50 Thursday, April 29 St. Catherine of Siena, virgin and doctor of the Church Acts 13:13-25 Jn 13:16-20 Friday, April 30 Acts 13:26-33 Jn 14:1-6 Saturday, May 1 Acts 13:44-52 Jn 14:7-14 Sunday, May 2 Fifth Sunday of Easter Acts 9:26-31 1 Jn 3:18-24 Jn 15:1-8

FOCUSONFAITH

APRIL 15, 2021

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 15

ECHOES OF CATHOLIC MINNESOTA | REBA LUIKEN

Cholera, a growing city and a Catholic hospital

In 1854, St. Paul was a river town on the American frontier. Its economy and population were growing quickly thanks to steamboats packed with Irish and German immigrants journeying north on the Mississippi River. Unfortunately, the same cramped conditions that made the inexpensive trip favorable for poor immigrants also bred disease. That year, the immigrants brought cholera with them from river towns farther south, spurring an outbreak. As they shared drinking cups, utensils and water from a polluted river, they unwittingly spread the bacteria that caused the often-fatal disease.

It just so happens that 1854 was the year that a physician in London proved cholera was spread in drinking water polluted by human waste. But no one in St. Paul knew this yet. On top of that, St. Paul’s board of health worked hard to keep the outbreak quiet to promote business, so most people did not know to be concerned.

They did not want the press reporting on cholera, but the St. Paul board of health did take action to establish a system to care for cholera patients. When city representatives were unable to find a building for a hospital, Bishop Joseph Cretin volunteered a Catholic hospital under construction at that time in downtown St. Paul, at Ninth and Exchange Streets.

In the meantime, St. Paul’s first church, a log chapel built in 1841 in what is now Kellogg Mall Park, became a temporary hospital staffed by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet.

Most of the patients they treated were new immigrants whose names were unknown because most wealthy residents at the time chose to have a physician treat them at home.

Elsewhere in the city, the half-brother of President Millard Fillmore, Charles, succumbed to the disease. His obituary listed dysentery as his cause of death to avoid a panic.

When St. Joseph’s Hospital opened in 1854, it was thoroughly modern. The first stone building in St. Paul, it contained private rooms, balconies, a chapel, a laundry, an assembly room and a smoking room. A pump brought spring water to all four floors (when at least four sisters provided the labor to operate it) and the building was surrounded by walks and gardens. The sisters charged patients $8 a week, but those who could not pay were admitted free. The sisters nursed patients with the help of doctors. They cared for orphans in the same building and

WHY DO CATHOLICS DO THAT? FATHER JOHN PAUL ERICKSON

Call no man ‘Father’?

Q The Bible says, “Call no man Father.”

Why then do Catholics call their priests “father?”

A Jesus also tells us that if our right eye

causes us to sin, we need to pluck it out. Mercifully, we do not take the Lord literally here! What is more, St. Paul in his letters refers to himself as a spiritual father. Surely the great apostle knew of the Lord’s admonition against titles!

And so, it seems that the Lord’s proscription is not so much about words, but about our loyalties and a sure knowledge of the ultimate authority that is God’s alone. Jesus had a real problem with those who claimed for themselves spiritual authority but did not live up to the holiness of their position. Jesus is reminding us in this passage to always remember that our earthly fathers, whether they be our pastor, an important teacher or our own biological dad, are human beings, and they derive their own authority from the Father of all. Respect and due deference are important to show to earthly authority, but God is God and no one can take his place. We call priests “father” as a sign of their

Catholic art inspires The Catholic Spirit recently asked our readers to share responses to two questions: “What does St. Joseph mean to you?” and “What sacred image at your parish inspires your faith and why?” The following are a selection of responses.

PHOTOS COURTESY ARCHDIOCESAN ARCHIVES

TOP The original St. Joseph’s Hospital opened in 1854 in downtown St. Paul at the site where the modern hospital stands today. The original building was torn down and replaced in 1890 and then significantly renovated over the years. BOTTOM Nurses from a 1901 graduating class stand with Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet at an entrance to St. Joseph’s Hospital. taught in schools on the grounds. The hospital became the main site for cholera care in the city. When another cholera outbreak struck the city in 1866, however, neighbors threatened to burn down the hospital rather than have cholera patients nearby, and the department of health built a quarantine station closer to the river.

Advances in medicine and sanitation made cholera increasingly rare in Minnesota, but St. Joseph’s Hospital and the Sisters of St. Joseph who ran it continued to serve the people of St. Paul. Over the years, the hospital changed. It was torn down and replaced in 1890 and then renovated and expanded numerous times. Although it no longer resembles the four-story building that opened in 1854, it does still occupy the same land that Henry Rice donated for the hospital on Exchange Street. In 1987, the hospital became part of the HealthEast care system, which merged with Fairview in 2017. Today, patients continue to receive care at St. Joseph’s but the future is uncertain.

Luiken is a historian with a Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota and a lifelong Catholic in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.

spiritual role in our lives and as one who is often given charge over a parish family. It is a sign of affection, but it also reminds the priest himself of his duties and obligations.

Q The Bible says not to pray in “vain repetition,” so why do Catholics pray the same prayers over and over?

A If our prayers do not involve the heart, they are indeed

just wasted breath. God is not moved by words alone, as if he could be manipulated or deceived. Rather, it is the heart that matters to him. Spontaneous prayer, said without a script and full of emotion and meaning, can be beautiful and important, but should not be confused as better than “rote” prayers, which are often said repeatedly. Indeed, many of those rote prayers that Catholics say come from sacred Scripture itself, most notably the Our Father and the Hail Mary. As we pray these words, we strive to make them our own, and to shape our hearts according to the passage of the text. For example, the very beautiful and simple prayer “Jesus, I trust in you” can be recited, over and over again, not only as a sign of our interior disposition of loving abandonment to the Lord, but can also help us to actively grow in trust of that same Lord. There can indeed be a temptation at times to confuse heartless repetition with piety, and the Lord’s words against vain repetition are a caution against this mindset.

Father Erickson is pastor of Transfiguration in Oakdale. Send your questions to CatholicSpirit@archspm.org with “Why Do Catholics Do That?” in the subject line.

At St. Odilia in Shoreview, we have the statue of St. Joseph from our Nativity scene in our sanctuary for the year. This St. Joseph is slightly bent forward, the better to see and protect the baby Jesus. He is carrying a little lamp. This is a pure tribute to St. Joseph — the leader, the protector, the patient love. I treasure the meditation inspired by this humble portrayal of St. Joseph.

Rosie O’Donovan St. Odilia, Shoreview At the St. Joseph campus of St. Gabriel the Archangel at 1310 Mainstreet, Hopkins, there is one particular stained glass window that shows St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican (where people gather to hear the Holy Father’s messages and blessings). Closer to the bottom of the same window, it shows the side view of the church in Hopkins. It reminds me that we are connected with St. Peter, who Jesus said, “Upon this Rock, I will build my Church.”

(The name “Peter” means “rock.”) Yes, Jesus chose a man who was not perfect and neither are we. And neither is every pope, bishop, priest. However, we are still here, the Catholic Church, still searching, still learning and following (in our clumsy ways) Jesus!

Kathleen Esh St. Gabriel the Archangel, Hopkins At the church of St. Peter in Forest Lake, there is a Holy Family statue to the right of the sanctuary. St. Joseph is on Blessed Virgin Mary’s left, with his eyes looking down at Jesus in Mary’s arms and his right hand is on Mary’s right shoulder.

He’s showing me his offering of quiet, gentle support and courage. It seems to me he is telling Mary everything will be OK. Mary, with a soft smile and looking down at Jesus, holds him with her right hand in front by his waist while he half sits on her left arm.

Jesus’ arms are spread out. It makes me think of a young child excited to see me and reaching out for me to hold and embrace him. It appears as if Mary’s hold is keeping Jesus from falling because he wants to come to me, but she is happy to give him to me.

Then my gaze shifts to the crucifix in the sanctuary above the tabernacle. The Child Jesus’ outstretched arms and posture appear to be a foreshadowing of him stretched out and hanging on the cross. I need the Holy Family to help me go to Jesus on the cross and bear the crosses that come to me.

Rose Gustafson St. Peter, Forest Lake “Readers Respond” is a new feature in The Catholic Spirit. Respond to our next question: “What is your favorite Catholic historical site in Minnesota, and why?” in 200 words or less to CatholicSpirit@archspm.org with “Readers Respond” in the subject line.

16 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

APRIL 15, 2021

COMMENTARY TWENTY SOMETHING | CHRISTINA CAPECCHI

The hand-me-down: a love letter that endures There are echoes of Romeo and Juliet, but the ending is happier.

This story of forbidden love took place long ago on a Mediterranean island — 1870s Sicily, to be exact.

Elizabeth Lagudice was a beautiful noblewoman with dark curls and big eyes. Dona Elizabeth, as she was called, made a fabled mistake: She fell in love with a tailor.

She was enchanted by Matteo Parisi, the hardworking young man who made dresses and evening coats for nobility. But because he lacked her social status, her parents did not approve of the match. And in a move that smacks of a Disney villain, they sequestered Elizabeth at home, hoping it would dissolve the attachment.

It did not.

Servants were sympathetic to the young couple, and they smuggled Matteo’s finest threads to Elizabeth to use as the cutwork for her hope chest.

Among the hidden fabric was an exquisite white bedsheet.

It was a love letter made of linen. Elizabeth held it close to her heart, and it kept the flame of love alive while they were apart.

The needlework expected of young Italian women of that era was tedious. Elizabeth labored over the bedsheet from Matteo for two years, it is estimated, cutting tiny holes and then delicately threading them together, all while dreaming of a future with the handsome tailor.

Eventually the two were reunited and married.

They moved to Canada for a new beginning. Far from home and the aid of her servants, Elizabeth faced a steep learning curve. According to one story, she didn’t even know how to do her own hair. But the love she and Matteo shared only deepened with time, blessing them with seven children.

They built a wonderful life together. They were

SIMPLE HOLINESS | KATE SOUCHERAY

The message of Easter is courage

When I taught high school religion, a poster in my classroom read, “If you don’t know what you stand for, you will fall for anything.”

This is age-old advice: The Old Testament ethics teacher, Sirach, also stated, “Stand firm for what you know” (Sir 5:12). More than any other time in our modern history, it is essential that we take time for prayer and adoration to understand what we know, what we stand for, and ask God for the courage to stand firmly for what we believe is right.

The message of Easter has always been one of courage. Jesus stood firmly for what he believed was right. To help himself understand what that was, he spent time in his Father’s presence praying and listening to his Father’s will for him, which culminated in his death on the cross. Even though Jesus begged God to take the cup of suffering from him, God responded that he could, but he would not.

He needed Jesus to offer this self-sacrifice so his Holy

The gown reminds the family that love trumps all. It’s a sign of hope, that a young woman could embroider for years and years, overcome opposition and finally marry the man of her dreams.

COURTESY “THEOLOGY OF HOME II: THE SPIRITUAL ART OF HOMEMAKING.”

The baptismal gown crafted from a bedsheet made by Matteo and Elizabeth Parisi. self-sufficient, practical — they slept on the linen bedsheet Elizabeth had embroidered — and happy.

In 1908 tragedy struck back home: Europe’s most powerful earthquake shook Sicily, followed by a vicious tsunami, flattening the island and killing some 200,00 Italians. No one from Elizabeth’s family survived.

The family estate had vanished, cementing her new life without noble status. She never looked back.

Time passed, and Elizabeth grew to be a content old woman. One day in 1965, her daughter Josephine, herself an old woman, uncovered the bedsheet in a trunk. It was spotted and yellowed, but after being

Spirit would be released and given to us as a helper throughout our lives.

The courage Jesus demonstrated as he stood up and faced his executioners is an example for us of how we must live our lives. We know courage is a virtue, identified as such by Aristotle three-and-a-half centuries before Jesus. St. Paul wrote about courage and St. Thomas Aquinas identified it as a cardinal virtue, which, along with the theological virtues of faith, hope and love, create a formula for living a worthy, adult life.

Catholic author Matthew Kelly states, “Courage is essential for the human experience. It animates us, brings us to life, and makes everything else possible.

And yet, courage is the rarest quality of a human person. The measure of your life will be the measure of your courage.”

Protestant theologian Paul Tillich explained, “The power of being is identified with virtue, and virtue consequently, with essential nature. Virtue is the power of acting exclusively according to one’s true nature.” We must each ask what our essential nature is, and whether we have the courage to act in accord with it.

The challenge of Easter, at the conclusion of a meaningful Lent, is whether we have been changed by our self-denial and self-discipline, increasing in virtue throughout the 40 days of our intentional prayer, fasting and almsgiving. Easter is to be the turning point in our Christian journey each year, inviting us to live a more Spirit-filled, virtuous life, in which we become the real presence of Christ to

laundered and bleached, it came out beautifully — the Italian love letter, fully intact.

Then came a brilliant idea: to turn it into a christening gown. Elizabeth’s great-great-grandson Michael was the first to wear it, baptized at 1 week old. His siblings wore it later and then the next generation, stitching the family together in a sacramental way. It enabled them to preserve their heirloom and their heritage.

The gown reminds the family that love trumps all. It’s a sign of hope, that a young woman could embroider for years and years, overcome opposition and finally marry the man of her dreams.

“It speaks to the determination of people who have not always had a lot,” said Michael’s mother, Beth, who was named after the Sicilian noblewoman and is now a 77-year-old retired postmaster.

The gown is also a symbol of trust in divine providence. Like Elizabeth’s other descendants, Beth has responded to daunting circumstances with courage and trust. She dove into an unfamiliar job as a postal clerk after staying home with her kids, she led computer training for her colleagues when she utterly lacked technical savvy, and she uprooted her life and moved to South Carolina for the benefit of her husband’s health.

“Through the years I’ve learned that, as long as you’re trusting and have faith, what’s supposed to happen will work out,” she said. “Elizabeth waited a long time to get married. She had to stand her ground and say, ‘Nope, this is what’s supposed to be.’”

Capecchi is a writer from Inver Grove Heights.

ACTION STRATEGIES u Take time for prayer, to ask God for his grace to help you act with courage in the face of persecution for your faith. Stand firmly for what you know is right. u Be a beacon of light for others. Do not be afraid to speak boldly and courageously for your faith.

everyone around us. Jesuit Father Peter Lonsdale explains that it is essential for Christians to offer themselves unreservedly into God’s hands, “asking God to shape our lives through our decisions and thus allowing God to bring to fulfillment the creative work that God has already begun in us.”

Determine the ways in which God wishes to use you, and create time and space to say “yes” to his will for you. You may feel you need to attend the sacrament of reconciliation, if you have not already done so during Lent, and ask God to turn your heart in the direction he wishes you to go. Ask for openness to his will and his grace, to hear his voice accurately and for the courage to follow it faithfully.

Soucheray is a licensed marriage and family therapist and a member of St. Ambrose in Woodbury. She holds a master’s degree in theology from The St. Paul Seminary School of Divinity in St. Paul and a doctorate in educational leadership from St. Mary’s University of Minnesota.

APRIL 15, 2021

ALREADY/NOT YET | JONATHAN LIEDL

‘Everything becomes beautiful’

According to popular consensus, nothing is more soul-grating and miserable than a trip to the Department of Motor Vehicles. The only appropriate response amid the long lines, sterile setting and endless bureaucratic hoop-jumping is apparently to lament that you’re there in the first place.

But not for Lee Horton. The 50-something Philadelphian described his recent visit to the DMV in that city as “the most beautiful time.” He waited in line with his brother and a friend for over two hours, and “all the people were looking at us because we were smiling and laughing, and they couldn’t understand why we were so happy.”

COMMENTARY Lee’s secret? He and his brother Dennis had just been released from prison after serving 27 years of a life sentence for a crime they say they never committed.

“When you take everything away from a man, everything becomes beautiful,” Lee explained in a recent interview with National Public Radio’s Weekend Edition. “Everything,” like having an onion to cook with, inhaling the fresh air, seeing a child run down the street. The elder Horton brother said it all was like he had “been reborn into a better day, into a new day, like the person I was no longer exists.”

If anyone had the right to look at the world with jaded eyes and a stony heart, it’d be a man convinced he’d been falsely imprisoned for half his life. And yet Lee expresses nothing but the gratitude of one who knows, through the experience of deprivation, that all is gift. A gratitude so full, that “everything becomes beautiful,” and even a trip to the DMV is an occasion of delight.

It wasn’t lost on me that I heard Lee’s story on Divine Mercy Sunday, a day when we remember and celebrate God’s inconceivable and unmerited mercy toward us. Unlike Lee’s case before the State of Pennsylvania, none of us are potentially innocent before God. None of us deserve clemency. Through sin, we’ve willfully cut ourselves off from him. We “deserve death,” not as some grotesque punishment, but as a simple description

INSIDE THE CAPITOL | MCC

Legislature shifts focus after break After taking their annual “spring break,” legislators were back at work April 6. A fixture in the legislative calendar, the break always coincides with the Easter and Passover holidays, traditionally a time to rest in God. For many legislators and staff, the break also means a respite from the tumult created by thousands of bills and the proponents or opponents of bills vying for legislators’ attention.

Since the start of the session in January, lawmakers have introduced nearly 5,000 bills. Introduced in a steady stream of nearly 100 to 200 bills per week, the proposals include requests for funding, changes in existing policies, and ideas for new policies that could become law and impact some aspect of life in Minnesota. With so many bills, the return from recess marks a transition in which House and Senate committees shift their efforts from vetting new bills to

As the Catholic Church’s agent at the Minnesota Capitol, the Minnesota Catholic Conference is actively engaged with around 50 of the thousands of bills introduced this session. The conference’s level of engagement ranges from submitting letters of support or opposition to working with various coalition partners and stakeholders, to reaching out to Catholics across Minnesota — through our Catholic Advocacy Network (CAN) — urging them to contact their legislators about a given issue. People who have not been contacted can register today by going to mncatholic. org/actioncenter/join-us. After registering, people can explore the MCC’s action center to track bills and contact lawmakers on key issues.

LETTERS

nothing for officers who have real issues that need to be addressed. That contract is apparently so ineffective that Chief Arradondo has “pulled out” of the contract, which means nothing because the contract remains in force into perpetuity until it is replaced. It’s long past time for the mayor and City Council to admit their part and commence immediate negotiations toward a new contract. If not now, when? Further protests would better be directed to that aim. Nothing else will repair the city and effect a fitting accomplishment in the memory of George Floyd and others.

Biden support Praise the Lord! We have in the White House a man who believes in God, honors his faith not only by attending church but also in his family life and service to his country. Like Pope Francis, he is concerned for our planet and cares for refugees. In contrast, some bishops inappropriately focus on one issue only and ignore suppression of voting and failure to provide for the common good by making vaccinations available to all. Let’s stop casting the first stone.

working on final priorities.

Typically, bills that had stalled or had not yet been heard by a committee would now be dead, but that may no longer be the case this session due to a rarely used loophole to keep bills alive. The day before recess, the

Art Thell St. Joseph, West St. Paul

Mary E. Sarazin St. Edward, Bloomington

Heterodox?

Ineffective police contract

In a recent issue of The Catholic Spirit, a writer noted that the Church should take power over religious sisters and the Jesuits who he deems to be heterodox (“MCC director addresses questions about working with pro-choice politicians,” Feb. 25). I am a member of St. Thomas More community, a Jesuit parish. The parish is a sanctuary church (pro-life support for immigrants); has frequent homilies on social justice issues, the Beatitudes, and Matt. 25; has active involvement in social justice issues; beautiful and meaningful liturgies; and is very welcoming. I volunteer at Cristo Rey Jesuit High School, a college prep school serving students from families who would otherwise not be able to afford a private school. The school’s goal is not just having students graduate from high school but also from

The subject article in the March 25 Catholic Spirit said it all regarding the fear and anxiety on the street in the Twin Cities (“Chauvin trial reaction: Praying for the best, preparing for the worst”). This need not be, however, as this incident is not directly about racism.

This is about an officer’s abilities which were apparently called into question on multiple occasions. There is nothing wrong with the MPD that the mayor and City Council haven’t condoned for years by repeatedly signing off on the city operating contract with the Police Federation. That contract, according to published reports and study, directs most issues to arbitration, which does nothing for the city and does absolutely

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 17 of what it is to be apart from the Source of Life and trapped within ourselves.

But in his merciful love, God breaks the bonds of death and releases us from the prison of our selfcenteredness. Through our baptism into Christ’s death and resurrection, we too have a “new lease on life.” And through embracing this truth in gratitude, we can live life — including its trial and tribulations — with joy and delight.

In Mark’s Gospel, Christ says those who follow him will not only receive eternal life in the age to come, but also “a hundred times more now in this present age” (Mk 10:30). This “hundred times more” is not a quantitative dimension, as falsely proposed in the so-called “Prosperity Gospel.” Following Jesus does not guarantee us more stuff. Instead, by being in a relationship of grateful dependence with the Author of Life, the quality of our engagement with everything will be enhanced — “everything becomes beautiful.”

In the words of the theologian Luigi Giussani, the man who follows Christ will “know how to enjoy the stars a hundred times more.” And not just the stars, but our relationships, our responsibilities and yes, even our visits to the DMV. Liedl lives and writes in the Twin Cities.

House Rules Committee voted to waive the deadline required for four bills including H.F. 600, Rep. Ryan Winkler’s recreational marijuana legalization bill. In his comments supporting the use of the waiver clause, Committee Chair Winkler noted that the committee would likely waive the deadline for other bills that DFL leadership wants to move, despite not meeting the established deadline.

From an advocacy standpoint, the House’s willingness to waive the deadline rule for select bills means that proposals such as the comprehensive sex education bill H.F. 358 (Jordan) and the reproductive health rights bill H.F. 259 (Morrison), may remain viable for the duration of the session. These bills, which attack the dignity of the human person, require ongoing vigilance to ensure this loophole does not enable them to slip into law.

Not only will MCC keep a careful watch over any attempt to attack life, dignity and the common good, but in this “second half” of the session, the MCC — like other advocacy groups — will examine how the Legislature’s priorities align with MCC priorities and how to engage in end-of-session negotiations.

“Inside the Capitol” is a biweekly update from Minnesota Catholic Conference staff while the Minnesota State Legislature is in session. college. The largely Latino and Black student body has a record of 100% acceptance into colleges. This Jesuit ministry is replicated in over 30 schools across the United States. If the examples cited are heterodoxy, then this is the Church of which I wish to be a part.

Mariah Snyder St. Thomas More, St. Paul

Men and caves In your March 26 (online) article, titled “Seminary professor discusses St. Joseph as a spiritual father,” Deborah Savage notes that “If it weren’t for men, we’d still be living in caves.” Really? Unbelievable. It’s astonishing that our young priests are being formed by teachings such as this. All of us were created in the image of God and are essential to the evolution of a caring and just world. Step into the current century, Ms. Savage. I lose hope for our dear Church when I read commentaries like this. Please, by the grace of God, do better.

Betty Schindler Lumen Christi, St. Paul Share your perspective by emailing TheCatholicSpirit@ Please limit your letter to the editor to 150 words and include your parish and phone number.

The Commentary pages do not necessarily reflect the opinions of The Catholic Spirit. Read more letters to the editor at TheCatholicSpirit.com. archspm.org.

18 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

APRIL 15, 2021

Why I am Catholic

By Hayley Horning Shibley

W

DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

hat a wonderful question to sit down and answer in word form. I was born and raised in a big Catholic family. My mom and dad were

both born and raised in big Catholic families, and

they raised their eight children to be Catholic as

well. Growing up in a family of 10 had its challenges,

and now I am honored to serve in the same role. I was an altar server growing up, and now my daughter is an altar server.

Carrying on these blessed Catholic traditions means more to me than I even knew. My Catholic faith led me and my family to a wonderful church where my faith has never been

of course, but I remember our Catholic faith being at the core

so strong, and it has allowed me to reflect on my Catholic

of everything. It’s why we did certain things and it’s why we

upbringing and how much it has shaped me as a person.

believed certain things, and I have carried that into adulthood

‘‘

minister of holy Communion for as long as I can remember,

with me.

to carry on beloved, cherished traditions that my mom has

I didn’t know it at the time, but my mother’s strong Catholic faith really shaped me into who I am today, a proud

I am Catholic to carry on beloved, cherished traditions that my mom has passed down to me and now I am passing down to my own daughter.

I’m Catholic because I choose to be Catholic. I am Catholic passed down to me and now I am passing down to my own daughter.

Catholic. Now being a mother myself, I see myself in my daughter as we attend Mass and as she grows up being Catholic. Being able to share the precious sacraments

Shibley, 44, is a tennis coach who lives in Burnsville with her son, Trey, and daughter, Peyton, and her husband of 16 years, Jeremy. She and her family are members of Mary, Mother of the Church in Burnsville. She grew up attending St. Mary in Willmar and graduated from Concordia University in St. Paul with a degree in education.

with my children is a beautiful thing, and it’s something I cherish as a Catholic. My mom was an extraordinary

“Why I am Catholic” is a new ongoing series in The Catholic Spirit. Want to share why you are Catholic?

Submit your story in 300-500 words to CatholicSpirit@ archspm.org with “Why I am Catholic” in the subject line.

APRIL 15, 2021

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 19

CALENDAR Women’s weekend retreat — April 23-25 at Franciscan Retreat and Spirituality Center, 16385 St. Francis Lane, Prior Lake. Theme for 2021: “Fear Not; I Am With You Always.”

Includes scheduled and open time. Confession, anointing, Mass, Holy Hour and prayer sessions. franciscanretreats.net “A Listening Heart” for church staff and volunteers — April 27-28 at Christ the King Retreat Center, 621 First Ave. S., Buffalo. “Do I listen to God and others with my heart?” presented by King’s House Preaching Team. Suggested offering: $80 per person; includes four meals and one night of private accommodations. $30 deposit required with registration.

Register online at kingshouse.com or call 763-682-1394.

“Encountering ‘Fratelli Tutti’” series — April 27 and May 25: 7–8:30 p.m. online. Two dates of this five-part series remain. Presentations and discussions. Discern how this document from Pope Francis can influence and enrich lives.

Register at centerformission.org/whats-new to receive the link.

FORMATION Prison ministry workshop — April 17: 9 a.m.–noon. Virtual workshop with information about opportunities and importance for prison ministry inside and outside prison walls, with a panel discussion on support to returning citizens and transitional housing. tcprisonministry.com/coming-soon

CALENDAR submissions DEADLINE: Noon Thursday, 14 days before the anticipated Thursday date of publication. We cannot guarantee a submitted event will appear in the calendar. Priority is given to events occurring before the next issue date.

LISTINGS: Accepted are brief no­tices of upcoming events hosted by Catholic parishes and organizations. If the Catholic connection is not clear, please emphasize it in your submission. Included in our listings are local events submitted by public sources that could be of interest to the larger Catholic community.

ITEMS MUST INCLUDE the following to be considered for publication: uTime and date of event uFull street address of event uDescription of event uContact information in case of questions ONLINE: TheCatholicSpirit.com/calendarsubmissions

DULUTH BISHOP CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6

GIVEN Gathering — April 24: 8 a.m.–4 p.m. at St. Patrick, 6820 St. Patrick’s Lane, Edina. Open to women of all ages. This gathering will be an introduction of GIVEN and an opportunity to hear speakers who inspire women to receive the gift that they are, realize the gifts they’ve been given, and respond with the gift only they can give. Register by April 16 at giveninstitute. com/msp-given-gathering. Hosted by GIVEN and the Center for Evangelization and Discipleship.

Catechesis of the Good Shepherd Level I adult formation — May 1, 15: 8:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m. at St. Michael, 611 S. Third St., Stillwater. Montessori-based religious formation program rooted in Scripture and the liturgy of the Catholic Church. The method encourages fuller participation in the Mass and assists children with a personal relationship with Christ, the Good Shepherd. cgsusa.org

PARISH EVENTS Nativity of Mary School’s Spirit of Spring — April 17: 7 p.m. at Nativity of Mary Catholic School, 9901 E. Bloomington Freeway, Bloomington. Virtually. Silent auction items are available 7 p.m. April 12. Premier auction items (including trips!) are available for bidding 7 p.m. April 15. school.nativitybloomington.org/sos Exposition of sacred relics — May 12: 7 p.m. at Epiphany, 11001 Hanson Blvd NW, Coon Rapids. A teaching and exposition of sacred relics featuring Father Carlos Martins of the Companions of the Cross. Extraordinary Vatican collection of over 150 relics. Bring articles of devotion to touch to the reliquaries. treasuresofthechurch.com Exposition of sacred relics — May 15: 6 p.m. at St. Dominic, 104 Linden St. N., Northfield. Extraordinary Vatican collection of over 150 relics. Bring articles of devotion to touch to the reliquaries. Free and open to all. Mass at 5 p.m. For more information on the exposition, visit churchofstdominic.org or call the parish office at 507-645-8816.

ONGOING GROUPS Restorative Justice Groups — Monthly: 6:30–8 p.m. via Zoom. Open to all victim-survivors. First Mondays for those sexually abused by clergy as adults. Second Tuesdays for relatives and friends of clergy abuse victims. Third Mondays, victim-survivor support group. Third Wednesdays, survivor peace circle. Fourth Wednesdays, support group for men sexually abused by clergy or religious. Learn more at archspm.org/healing or call Paula Kaempffer at 651-291-4429.

ministered in several parishes. He serves as a member of the Green Bay diocesan College of Consultors, Presbyteral Council, Bishop Advisory Council, Personnel Board, Diocesan Finance Council, St. Norbert Board of Trustees and Silver Lake College Board of Directors. He is also a member of the National Advisory Council of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. He has also served as the director of affiliate affairs for the Catholic Telecommunications Network of America in New York.

Bishop-elect Felton is expected to be ordained the 10th bishop of Duluth. He follows Bishop Paul Sirba, who died unexpectedly at age 59 in December 2019. Bishop Sirba was a priest of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis prior to his appointment to Duluth in 2009.

“We are grateful to our Holy Father, Pope Francis, for sending us our next bishop in this joyful Easter season,” said Father James Bissonette, diocesan administrator for the Diocese of Duluth, in an April 7 statement from the Diocese of Duluth. “We look forward to getting to know Bishop-elect Felton and beginning this new chapter in our walk of faith together under his leadership as our next shepherd.”

In June 2020, Pope Francis appointed Father Michel Mulloy, a priest of the Diocese of Rapid City, South Dakota, as bishop-elect of Duluth, with an ordination scheduled for October 2020. In September, Father Mulloy resigned from that role following an allegation of child sexual abuse in the 1980s. Father Mulloy remains on administrative leave in the Diocese of Rapid City.

Established in 1889, the Diocese of Duluth includes Aitkin, Carlton, Cass, Cook, Crow Wing, Itasca, Koochiching, Lake, Pine and St. Louis counties in northeast Minnesota. It has 71 parishes and more than 44,000 Catholics.

TheCatholicSpirit.com

PRAYER+RETREATS

Marketplace • Message Center Classified Ads Email: classifiedads@archspm.org • Phone: 651-290-1631 • Fax: 651-291-4460 Next issue: 4-29-21 • Deadline: 3 p.m. 4-21-21 • Rates: $8 per line (35-40 characters per line) • Add a photo/logo for $25 CEILING TEXTURE

ACCESSIBILITY SOLUTIONS STAIR LIFTS - ELEVATORS WHEELCHAIR LIFTS FOR HOMES, CHURCHES & SCHOOLS Arrow Lift (763) 786-2780 ANTIQUES TOP CASH PAID For Older Furniture • Advertising Signs • Beer Items • Toys • Misc.

(651) 227-2469 Comic books, old toys, magazines, old paperback books and Pokemon cards. Top prices paid. Call Dave (651) 503-0642.

ATTORNEYS Edward F. Gross • Wills, Trusts, Probate, Estate Planning, Real Estate. Office at 35E & Roselawn Ave., St. Paul (651) 631-0616

Advertise your business, skills or needs in the classifieds. classifiedads@archspm.org

Michaels Painting. Popcorn Removal & Knock Down Texture: TextureCeilings.com (763) 757-3187.

CEMETERY LOTS FOR SALE Resurrection: 1 plot/$1200; labtender@att.net Resurrection Cemetery: single lot; Sec-16, Blk-6, Lt-24, Gr-1. Value: $1830.00 Price: $1480.

Abel at abelpinetree@gmail.com.

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES St. Joseph Parish, Hayward, WI is accepting applications for a Director of Discipleship; this would be a permanent full-time position.

This person should have experience in discipleship and evangelization as well as exhibit skills in interpersonal communication, collaborative ministry and public speaking.

The primary objective of the position is to create a culture that moves adults in the parish from unchurched to resilient discipleship through a variety of programs ranging from evangelization to rich catechesis. Please contact the St. Joseph Office for the full job description or to submit a resume (715-634-2867, ext. 1). Resume submission due April 23rd, 2021. https:// stjoseph-hayward.org/job-opportunities

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES Catholic Caregiver needed. Golden Valley.

Days: Wed/Thurs/Sat/Sun. Hrs: 9-1 or 10-4.

2 women. Hospice experience helpful.

Contact Judy@intlhockey@aol.com.

SouthWest Options for Women has moved into our new center location in Eden Prairie sharing a parking lot with Planned Parenthood and need your help fulfilling our Life Affirming Mission. With so many abortion minded women coming in and out of PP we need to add to our staff and are seeking to hire the following positions: Nurse Sonographer and RDMSSonographer. Full-Time and Part-Time positions available. Very Competitive Pay, Flexible Hours, Paid Holidays and PTO. Hiring Immediately. Please Contact Kim Bennecke at kim@myswow.org or at 952-938-4496 for more information.

GREAT CATHOLIC SPEAKERS CD of the Month Club Lighthouse Catholic Media, Scott Hahn, Jeff Cavins and more! $5/month includes shipping.

Subscribe online at www.lighthousecatholicmedia.org/cdclub Please Enter Code: 119

Ask a our 3 bout t speciaime l!

HANDYMAN

PAINTING

WE DO 1,162 THINGS AROUND THE HOME! Catholic Owned Handyman Business: We will fix/repair and remodel almost anything around the home. Serving entire Metro. Call today. Mention this ad and receive 10% off labor. Handyman Matters (651) 784-3777, (952) 946-0088. www.HandymanMatters.com

Michaels Painting. Texture and Repair.

MichaelsPaintingllc.coM. (763) 757-3187

HARDWOOD FLOORS

Sweeney’s Hardwood Floors

Spring’s here! Spruce up your home with new or refurbished hardwood floors. 15% off refinishing. Sweeney (651) 485-8187

PRAYERS NOTICE: Prayers must be submitted in advance. Payment of $8 per line must be received before publication.

RELIGIOUS ITEMS FOR SALE www.Holyart.com Over 50k Religious Items & Church Goods VACATION/FAMILY GETAWAY

buchanankitchencurators.com

Knotty Pines Resort, Park Rapids, MN. 1, 2 & 3 bdrm cabins starting at $565/week. www.knottypinesresort.com (800) 392-2410.

Mention this ad for a discount!

PAINTING

WANTED TO BUY

KITCHEN/BATH DESIGN

For painting & all related services. View our website: PAINTINGBYJERRYWIND.COM or call (651) 699-6140 Merriam Park Painting. Professional Int./ Ext. Painting. WP Hanging. Moderate Prices, Free Estimates. Call Ed (651) 224-3660.

Estate & Downsizing: I buy Van Loads and Bicycles. Steve (651) 778-0571

DISPLAY ADVERTISING 651-291-4444

20 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

WANT TO SAVE MONEY ON YOUR ENERGY BILL?

Install Solar with Novel!

Novel installs on-site solar – directly where our customers consume electricity, getting their energy from solar instead of higher-priced power from the grid. Solar can be installed on rooftops, on the ground, or as a canopy.

APRIL 15, 2021

Lower Energy Bills

Support Clean Energy

No Up-Front Costs

UNABLE TO INSTALL SOL AR?

Join a Community Solar Garden in Your Area!

Reap the benefits of solar energy without installing an array!

A Community Solar Garden is a large solar electric array, located off-site, which generates production bill credits for participating Xcel Energy customers.

+ Guaranteed savings – average annual savings ~10%

+ $0 to join, no hidden fees + No interruption to how you receive the electricity at your home.

+ Support clean energy, your

community and Minnesota jobs.

Church of St. Joseph On-Site Solar array in Rosemount, MN. Producing electricity to power the church and school.

Join a local garden in your area at www.joinsolar.org/catholicspirit

612-345-7188

|

info@novelenergy.biz

|

2303 Wycliff St. - Suite 300, St. Paul, Minnesota 55114

NovelEnergy.biz